Keys to the Heart
by Wrathkal
Summary: An OC finds himself in Gensokyo courtesy of Yukari, and decides to make the most of it. Can he survive and grow stronger despite being just a normal human? Rated M for violence and content. Note: MAINLY the latter. Slow updates!
1. Prologue: Nice Bait

Disclaimer: I only own my OC, everyone else is owned by ZUN, etc.

My first fanfic ever. It's risky to write this so close to exams, but if I don't, I'm going to be distracted all the time, so here we are.

Let's see, how should I introduce this? After reading "Average Joe in Bullet Hell", I followed the author's recommendations and read "Crossing the Border", "Unparalleled Ayakashi Incident" and "Touhou Chronicles". So far, I'm quite impressed by them, but then I thought, 'What happens if there's a MC that's even more lacking in power?' I have most of the routes fleshed out in my mind already, hopefully I can recall them long enough to write them out satisfactorily.

If I were to put a synopsis to this, the most straightforward thing would be 'Yukari decides to strand a human from the Outside World in Gensokyo'. Certainly not anything new by the Touhou standards, but getting everyone else to participate... that's where the fun would start, I think. Doubt I'll put in anything like a Big Bad, though there will be fighting.

* * *

><p>"Damn it, nothing's sinking in." I mutter quietly, my voice going unnoticed over the soft whispering of the other students in the library. Glancing at my notes in frustration, I close my eyes and try to recite the properties and uses of the drugs listed in front of me. "Salbutamol, beta-2 agonist, used against asthmatic attacks, its side effect is..."<p>

It's less than a week to my exams, and while my grades are barely average, the harsh competiveness within my cohort of students has forced me to resort to the most basic study method: rote memorization. It's a hard way, but I'm desperate enough to take it. So far, I've used up five sheets of paper just writing things down over and over, and it's working somewhat.

I stand up and head for the toilet, intending to wash my face for a bit of wakeup, before I return to my studies once more.

[In Gensokyo]

The girls are drinking...

It is a grand party they are having this day. Even Hinanai Tenshi, the Celestial that most of them detest, is present, not to mention Fujiwara no Mokou and Princess Kaguya, though those two are seated at opposite ends of the group. Beneath a tree some distance away, Komeiji Satori takes cautious sips from her cup, with constant encouragement from her pet Kaenbyou Rin.

"So... Yukari, mind explaining why there are so many people at my shrine?" Hakurei Reimu asks the blonde human-like youkai seated next to her.

Yukari simply smiles in her usual inhuman way. "Why Reimu, isn't it obvious that sake tastes much better when drunk in the company of others?"

"You're up to something."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. May I interest you in a new bottle of sake? It's said to be very good."

"Sure, I'll have some ze!" A girl dressed in black and white clothing reminiscent of a witch holds out her cup.

"Marisa!" Reimu glares at her longtime friend. "She didn't offer it to you!"

Kirisame Marisa grins toothily. "Aw, don't sweat the small stuff ze! C'mon, pour me some of that sake, Yukari!"

The youkai chuckles. "Of course, of course, no need to rush. But there's enough for all," Yukari raises her voice so the others can hear. "So let's have a taste, shall we?"

[In the Outside World]

I stare at my reflection in the mirror as I wash my hands. A face with black eyes, short black hair, and a tan complexion stares back at me, its expression unreadable as usual. Sighing, I straighten up, making an effort not to fall into my usual slouch that puts me at a closer level to those around me, and head back to my table in the library.

And... the next part to memorize is... a single sheet filled with Japanese? But I didn't pack any...

Ah, what the hell. If I leave it aside, it's going to stay on my mind and interfere with my memorization. Let's see...

[In Gensokyo]

"So, what do you think of my idea? It sounds fun, doesn't it?" Yukari smiled slyly.

Reimu frowned, though it took a lot to do so. The alcohol she had been partaking of was far stronger than what she was normally used to.

"It's reck... reck...recklessss..." She slurred.

"C'mon, Reimu! It'll BE fine, ZE!" Marisa's irregular tone betrayed the fact that she wasn't much better.

"I picked one already, so let's see how he does on my test..."

As one, the girls present at the feast turned to look at the gap that Yukari opened.

[In the Outside World]

I took courses in Japanese outside of my university, so while the text on this paper uses non-syllabus material, it's easy enough for me to comprehend.

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you do?

Zenryoku Zenkai, I wrote, knowing that the line had a double meaning. (1)

Living in a safe, unchanging life compared to a fast-paced life filled with variety, which do you prefer?

The one that is more fun, of course.

[In Gensokyo]

"Hoho~, this human writes some pretty interestin' stuff." A small girl with orange hair and two horns growing out of her head noted.

"Hey, Suika! Don't block, I can't see!"

"'Kay~, Yuugi." The little oni, Ibuki Suika, scooted a bit to her side to make way for her bigger counterpart, who had a single red horn adorned with a star protruding from her forehead.

"He's going through them pretty fast, ze." Marisa pointed out. "Those questions aren't too easy, are they?"

[Back in the Outside World]

What describes you the best?

The cloud. _One more left._

What is the one thing you will always do?

Move ahead, no matter what.

_Okay, that's done._ I put the paper aside and resume the arduous task of memorization once more. _Still, where the heck did that paper come from? Oh wait, I didn't check if there was anything on the back..._

Silently, I stare at the place where I had placed the paper, seeing nothing but the wooden surface of the table. _Uh... what the fuck?_

Suddenly, the mood to study left me, and I decided to unwind a little by surfing the Internet for random stuff. Normally, I read fantasy-orientated stuff, maybe a bit of fanfiction, but usually anything that had an interesting storyline, be it movie synopses, book spoilers, manga chapters, etc. Yet, for no logical reason, I just started to read things like recipes, fighting techniques, electronics, things that were definitely far out of my field of interests.

It somehow feels... important. Like it'll come up in my test on pharmacology.

As if. I knock my head softly against the table, and focus back on my notes.

[Returning to Gensokyo]

"Mmhmm~. Interesting set of answers." Yukari murmured to herself as the others leaned around her trying to read over her shoulder.

"Yakumo!" The blue-haired girl dressed in red called out from beneath the shade of the frilly umbrella held by the maid behind her. "What did he write on that paper?"

"Read for yourself." The youkai stuck her hand through a gap that opened in the air before her, handing it straight to the one who had called her surname. "Now, what comes next is a matter... of... timing..."

Yakumo Yukari focused on the image of the teenager, clearly doing more than just looking, though no one could tell what she was truly up to.

[Once more in the Outside World]

Suddenly it feels very... very... I need some fresh air, right now. My water bottle's nearly empty, guess I'll go fill it up at the water cooler. Grabbing it, I get up once more and head for the lift that will take me to the fourth floor, where the exit and the water cooler are located, leaving my laptop on the desk.

_No one's gonna take it. With so many students crammed in here, a potential thief has no way of knowing whether the guy seated next to me is a friend who's watching over my stuff. Door open, step in, hit the button for the fourth floor, door close..._

Then the floor of the lift dropped out from beneath my feet, sending me into darkness.

[In Gensokyo, for the final time]

"There we go." Yukari said, cat-like satisfaction in her voice.

* * *

><p>(1) 'Zenryoku Zenkai', it's a quote from the Nanoha 4-koma "Nanoha Nano!". As indicated, there are two meanings, one simply means 'Full power'. The other... 'Total annihilation'. XD<p>

Probably will write one more chapter before I feel sufficiently calmed down enough to actually study once more.


	2. Chapter 1: Definitely hers

Second chapter, go.

* * *

><p>"<span>Ushiro Mae Mawari Ukemi!<span>" (1)

The moment my feet contacted something solid, I relaxed my legs, letting myself fall backwards and smacking the floor with my hands to disperse the impact. It stung, but it was better than...

THUNK.

Ow! Forgot to tuck my head in! Grimacing, I clutch my head and curl up in a fetal position.

"Pretty big, isn't he?" I hear someone, a girl, talking.

Memory check:

Name, can recall. History, Asian, nearly finished my first year of university. Skills, scattering of martial arts, most prominently Arnis. (2) Interests, books, anime & manga of the fantasy genre, music playlist that is predominantly Japanese. Social life, pretty much none, I'm a loner, thank you very much.

Memory check, completed. Imagination processes 100%. Physical capability, nothing broken, aches & bruises.

All in all, fine.

Blinking, I look around curiously. Wherever I was, it certainly wasn't the library at school. In fact, I doubt I'm even in my country anymore. There certainly isn't any Japanese shrine within twenty kilometers of my school, and the people surrounding me...

HOLY SHIT! Actual Touhou characters! I certainly know about the franchise, but the girls before me... I have no doubt that they are real. There's a certain authentic otherworldliness that not even the most authentic cosplay can duplicate.

_Wait, that means there's only one person here that's responsible for me being in Gensokyo._ I look over the crowd. _There. Yakumo Yukari._

"[Woah, those clothes are weird ze!]" There's only one character I know who speaks like that.

_This is just a T-shirt and jeans. But still, Japanese? Communicating might be a bit hard at this rate._

"[No need to worry. Here.]"

Before I noticed, Yukari was already in front of me, her upper body sticking through one of her gaps. I felt a shock run through my body from where her hand contacted my head, and then everything changed.

"Yakumo-san, what did you do?" I ask.

"You don't have to be so polite, Yukari is fine." She smiles down at me. "I just made it easier for you to understand us. Your Japanese is rather good for a non-native speaker, but not enough for here."

_Huh, I thought of her name in the Japanese style first, but now it comes up the other way? From Yakumo Yukari to Yukari Yakumo. Just how powerful is she?_

I blink and focus carefully on her. White dress with that purple length of cloth on top, marked with a symbol of the Eight Trigrams, trademark hat with ribbon, and pale pink parasol hanging off her wrist. The amusement in those golden eyes of hers is making me a bit uncomfortable, but I refuse to be cowed, and return her stare.

"Spirited, I see."

"You push, I push back." I stand up and glance past her at the other girls. "I suppose I should introduce myself?"

"By all means, please do so." The gap floats aside.

I clear my throat. "Pleased to meet you all, my name is..." I think for a moment. "Call me Ikuto. I'll be in your care from now on."

Most of them nod, apparently pleased with the polite way I had addressed them. Instantly, I can recognize all the player characters from the games, despite having only played the fighting ones. Others, such as Yuugi, Satori...

_Shit, Satori!_ _Please excuse my thoughts... Also, if possible, could you not reveal what I know about this world?_

The purple-haired girl nods silently.

_Thank you._

I look around expectantly, waiting for someone to say something. So far, all of them are studying me like how I did with Yukari, which is a bit uncomfortable. Most of all, the girl with green hair is really, really close. Without thinking, I flick up her hat and poke her gently in the forehead.

_Wait, what? Who the heck was... was there someone there just now?_ I blink, but none of the girls apart from Yukari was anywhere near me. _Yellow shirt... was that my imagination?_

Yukari snaps a fan open and covers her mouth. "Well, shall we get down to business?"

"Yukari, are you sure you want to do this?" Reimu asks loudly. "He's-"

"My dear Reimu, you promised, did you not?"

The grunt the miko made in response told me she regretted that promise quite a lot. Honestly, that really stirs my curiosity.

"Yukari-san, may I know the purpose you brought me here for?"

She shuts the fan and points it at me. "For fun."

"...whose?" I ask on purpose.

"Mine, mainly. But maybe yours." Her eyes glimmer with approval at my question. "Now, listen closely..."

Five minutes later, I am struggling with myself whether to shout in joy or to do a facepalm. Certainly, Yukari knew perfectly that I would accept things as they were no matter how fantastical due to all the fiction I had read, but telling me that she wanted me to try living in Gensokyo was a bit... screwed up. Well, youkai-rashii. (3) She's not human, no matter how much she looks like one. I have to remember that.

"Okay, let me rephrase and summarize what you just said, so I can be sure that I didn't miss a thing." I hold up a fist. "One," I straighten one finger. "You want me to live in Gensokyo."

Yukari nods. "That is correct."

"Two," I straighten a second finger. "I will be living with... at each... uhh, place, for a certain time."

"The time you spend depends on various factors."

"Three, I get to decide the order of whom I stay with."

"And that is all the main points of what I have just told you." Yukari prods me with her parasol. "If you wish to refuse, I certainly won't begrudge you for doing so. So, what will you do?"

"Can I borrow some paper and something to write on? I need a plan if I'm going to be staying here."

.

I've talked to most of the girls already, answering some of their questions in return for getting to know more about them. Reimu's attitude practically screamed 'I can't believe you're going along with Yukari', while Kamishirasawa Keine expressed a similar 'you must lack common sense' reaction. Aya was the hardest to deal with; for every one question I asked her, she returned with three. Not particularly helpful to my concentration.

"You're done?" Yukari prods me with her parasol again, except she's not hanging out of a gap this time.

"Pretty much." I lift it up for her to see. "Here's a bit of ranking."

**Hakurei Shrine - **

**Reimu, Suika, Marisa (doubt she stays at home much)**

**Risk rating: 1/5**

**Human Village-**

**Keine**

**Risk rating: 1/5**

**Myouren Temple**

**Byakuren, Shou, Ichirin, Nazrin, Nue**

**Risk rating: 2/5 (Youkai risk)**

**Hakugyokuro-**

**Yuyuko, Youmu**

**Risk rating: 2/5**

**Eientei-**

**Kaguya, Eirin, Reisen, Tewi, Mokou (separate residence)**

**Risk rating: 2/5**

**Forest of Magic-**

**Alice, Marisa (don't think she'll be at home)**

**Risk rating: 3/5**

**Moriya Shrine-**

**Kanako, Sanae, Suwako**

**Risk rating: 3/5 (it's on Youkai Mountain)**

**Youkai Mountain-**

**Aya, Momiji, Nitori**

**Risk rating: 4/5**

**Above the clouds-**

**Tenshi, Iku**

**Risk rating: 4/5 (Traveling up there would be dangerous)**

**Underground-**

**Satori, Utsuho, Orin, Yuugi**

**Risk rating: 4/5 (maybe 5/5 given it being underground)**

**Scarlet Devil Mansion-**

**Remilia, Sakuya,Patchouli, Meiling, Flandre (X)**

**Risk rating: 5/5**

"Mmhm~. This is quite the list you've made." Yukari comments. "Certainly, the place where the Celestials dwell would be a four out of five, but I'm more inclined to think it's because of that stupid girl."

"I don't think she's that bad." I reply defensively, ignoring the snorts of disbelief from around me.

"Well, no matter. So which place would you prefer to start with first?" Yukari folds the paper and hands it back to me. "Here? Or the human village?"

I straighten up, towering over everyone else apart from Yuugi and those who are floating, and look at each of the groups I listed in turn. Then I face the ones I would be staying with and bow respectfully.

"I'm in your care from now on."

* * *

><p>(1) Back break fall<p>

(2) Filipino stick-fighting martial art

(3) -rashii is a Japanese expression that means 'just like-'. I just felt like using it for no reason.

As you might have guessed, I use [ ] for translated Japanese, underlines for romanized Japanese, and italics for thoughts, though I might use italics within normal sentences to emphasize words or for certain things, like that red gate that is found at the shrine, the _torii_.


	3. Chapter 2: New Home

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" (1)

I turned to see a little blond girl in red clothes come up to me, the rainbow-colored crystals on her wings bouncing as she came running up to me.

"Yes? What is it, Flandre?"

"Play with me, 'kay? Let's play!" She tugs on my clothes, smiling excitedly.

"Okay, what do you want to play?"

"Let's play doctor!"

"Uhh... huh. Sure, how do you want to go about it?"

The smile suddenly turns sinister. "I'll make Onii-chan go boom, then I'll _try_ to put Onii-chan back together."

"Wait, wha-"

"Boom!"

BAD END

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

That's why I did not pick the SDM.

Sure, it might not happen, 'might' being the keyword there. But if I'm to die in Gensokyo, I rather die after seeing a few places _at least_, not straightaway in the first place I pick. Still, it's a little cold here, probably because of the inhabitants, or maybe because of the sudden transition of having Yukari gap me straight here.

_I like the cool temperature, but this is a little hard to take._ I look around the wide courtyard, seeing blobs of white floating around the area. _Still, I picked it, I'll stick with it._

"Ikuto-san, is there anything wrong?" The soft voice of the girl I would be living with breaks me from my thoughts.

I turn to face her, shaking my head. "No, nothing. I'm just thinking about the amenities here. Is it hard to cook or have a hot bath with the ghosts draining the heat?"

This time, she's the one who shakes her head. "Yuyuko-sama makes sure that they stay away from such places. Is there anything else?"

I close my eyes for a moment, before opening them to actually _look_ at Konpaku Youmu. White hair, bob cut with black ribbon, green dress over white blouse with a black bowtie around her neck. Dark blue eyes that speak of a hidden strength, though something about her expression hints about being perpetually bothered. The white ghost-half closely around her, occasionally pausing as if to mirror hesitancy in her. Striking a strong contrast against her size are the two katanas she's carrying, one of which is practically as tall as her. Even so, she's still quite a bit shorter than me.

She notices the way I'm looking at her. "Is there something on my face?"

I blink away the tears from the strain of actually _looking_ at someone else. "No, it's just... uh... I'd like it if you don't treat me as a guest. I don't mind it if you ask me for help with the chores, though I'm quite inexperienced compared to you."

Youmu held her hands palm-outwards towards me. "No, no, I cannot ask that of a guest."

"Please. I'm seriously asking this of you."

Yuyuko suddenly materializes out of thin air, and glomps onto Youmu from behind. "Oh come on~ It's fine, isn't it, Youmu-chan?"

"But, Yuyuko-sama!"

She caves eventually, under the combined efforts of her mistress and me. Now I have an idea of why she seems so harassed. Being the only servant to someone as flighty as Yuyuko, I think her hair would have gone white if it wasn't already that color. Or maybe it wasn't white originally...

_Youmu, just how long have you been serving Yuyuko?_ I follow the deceptively young-looking girl into the kitchen. _To ask, or not to ask..._

"Ikuto-san, please pass me the pot over there."

"Sure. Anything else?" _Some other time, I guess._

"Cut that..."

And so, for what might be the first time in my life, I actually get some training in the culinary arts. It's easier than I expected, actually. At home, I'd probably be surfing the Internet while someone else cooks. With the Devil's temptation absent, I might actually learn more worthwhile things.

* * *

><p>"Well then, good night, Ikuto-san." Youmu bows from her kneeling position and slides the paper screen door shut without waiting for my reply.<p>

Sighing, I walk towards the guest room set up for me, but I don't enter it. Instead, I sit along the corridor outside it and watch the soft blue glows dance around the trees in the garden. It is just starting to sink in; the fact that I just promised at least a year of my life to this fantasy world. It's a heavy realization, one that numbs my emotions so much that I'm not surprised to see Yukari suddenly show up next to me.

"Not sleeping?" She asks playfully.

"Not yet. I was just... thinking." I turn to face her. "Did you expect me to pick Hakugyokurou?"

"Actually, no." Yukari admits, "I believed you would pick the village."

A few more moments pass in silence. I fidget a bit, thinking over the events that had occurred since I came, such as how everyone was like and their reactions to me. Suika looks like she'd be fun to be with, Aya would be exhausting to keep up with, and all other manners of thoughts about each of the girls. But one thing kept coming up.

"Yukari-san..."

The gap she was seated, if one could call it that, floated closer. "Yes?"

"You manipulate boundaries, do you not?"

She nods, her amused expression telling me she already knows what I'm going to say.

"You manipulated the boundaries of everyone's... uhh, what's the term for it... reasonability." It was not a question.

When she didn't reply, I continue. "I seriously doubt that Reimu would normally be so accepting of having an outsider in Gensokyo."

Yukari leans closer. "And what will you do?"

I feel a chill running through my body as I look into those golden eyes of hers. If I ever needed evidence that she wasn't human, now would be the time. Everything about her shrieks 'non-human' to every sense I have.

_But I won't turn back._ "It's interesting, isn't it? That's enough for me." _Not now, not ever._

"Wise decision." She withdraws a short distance away.

The clinical way she said that gave me the feeling that if I had given the wrong answer, I'd be dead. Yet...

"Normal humans can't do danmaku, I'm sure you know."

I nod. "I assume you're here to do something about that."

"You shouldn't assume, you know. You'll end up making an-"

"Ass of you and me." I cut in. "I know that line, Yukari-san."

"No need to be so hasty, Ikuto." The gap flips upside down. "But you are right in your guessing. This is what I've brought for you."

She holds out a... key. From where I am, I can tell that it's of a rather old design by its size. The metal is shiny, though it's-

Yukari closes her fingers over it. "Before I give it to you, I want something in exchange."

"What, my firstborn? My vow of eternal loyalty? Wait, don't consider that so seriously!" That contemplative expression that appeared on her face when I bring up those sarcastic suggestions is really unnerving.

She chuckles somewhat sadistically at my reaction. "You should have seen the look on _your_ face. Really, nothing that big. All I want... are the things in your pockets."

My Ipod and wallet. Of all the... she's really coming across like some thief now. _But... when I consider what's at stake here..._

"Can I name one condition?" I ask as I dig into my pockets for what she demanded.

"If it is within my means."

"This is definitely something you can do." I hold out the purple Ipod on top of my wallet. "Never, ever, erase my playlist."

"Deal." Yukari takes them from me and drops the key into my palm.

I examine the key more closely. _Typical... what was this called again? Started with an L... ah, a lever lock key. The shaft, the bit, and the bow. I have good memory for totally useless stuff. _"So... how do I use this?"

"Find out yourself." She snaps open her fan to hide her smirk. "It's enough for you if it's interesting. You yourself said so."

_Burned._ _Damn, that's the sort of thing I'm usually good at catching others at._ "Well played. In that case, I'll be turning in. Thank you for the key, and good night."

"Good night." Yukari started to sink back into the gap, but paused halfway. "Oh, and Ikuto?"

"Yes?"

"Welcome to Gensokyo." Like Youmu, she disappeared without waiting for my reply.

"Good to be here... I think." I murmur.

"Ikuto-san, please wake up."

* * *

><p><em>Unfamiliar voice... what, no 'Onii-chan, if you don't wake up, I'm going to have to...'<em>-

I jerk upright and look around wildly. "Huh, wha-?"

Youmu's sitting next to me, already dressed and carrying her swords. "If you wish to go back to sleep, I understand. You are a guest after all."

"Uh, no. I did ask." I glance down at the robes I had changed into before going to sleep. "Mind letting me change first?"

"Certainly."

Minutes later, we're walking along the garden path, patrolling the area, according to her. Judging by what I _can't_ see, this will be one long patrol. Guess I should try to talk to her?

"Uh, Konpaku-san?"

"Yes?"

"Do you... do this every morning?"

"Yes, it is part of my duty." Her reply is straight to the point.

"Then... what else do you do?"

She glances at me once, before returning her attention to our surroundings. "I keep this garden clean, and drive off any intruders."

I shake my head. "No, I mean, what do you do in your free time?"

"I train in the way of the sword, if Yuyuko-sama has no errands for me." Once more, Youmu glances at me. "Is there anything else?"

"Before you start to train, could I see those swords you have?"

Silently, she slides the longer one out of her belt and hands it to me with both hands. Accepting it reverently, I draw the blade out a few inches and admire the pattern worked into the metal. It might be my imagination, but it seems that the blade is vibrating a little. It ceases when I sheathe it though. The flower tied to the end must have some emotional significance to her, so I leave it alone.

Youmu takes the blade back from me and returns it to where it hung at her side, and hands me the shorter one this time. The pattern is slightly different on this one, but the same vibrating feeling of inner power is just as strong. Testing their edges would certainly be a bad idea.

"Thank you for showing them to me. What are their names, may I know?"

"The longer one is called Roukanken, while the shorter one is Hakurouken. Forged by youkai, the things they cannot cut are next to none."

"Amazing." I comment, not needing to force emotion into a word I rarely use. "The world I'm from, such things are the stuff of folk tales and legends."

_Oh, what's this? She looked interested for a moment there._ I stay silent for a while as we turn a corner. _Let's see, how to bait her..._

"Compared to this world, I'm sure mine must be terribly boring to you."

"Not at all!" Youmu suddenly bursts out. "I... uh!" Her face colours pink.

Chuckling at how easy it was to catch her off guard and make her react so cutely, I start telling her about my world. She's certainly older than me, but Youmu's character is straightforward, a bit child-like sometimes. I have a feeling that when we're cooking breakfast later, the atmosphere between us won't be as formal as it was last night.

* * *

><p>"Food~ Food~ Fooood~" Yuyuko whined at the table.<p>

"Here, Yuyuko-sama." Youmu glided over and set down a few dishes in front of her mistress, before taking her seat.

All three of us place our hands together. "_Itadakimasu._" (2)

"Delicious~" Yuyuko gushes while she tears into the meal with the ferocity of a starved animal.

"Does she always say that?" I ask Youmu.

The girl closes her eyes as she picks up her chopsticks. "Most of the time."

"Youmu~... tea, please."

The teapot happened to be closer to me, so I grab it before Youmu does. "Here, Saigyouji-san."

"I don't like it." The ghost said abruptly.

Surprised, I jerk the teapot back up before any tea came out. "Uh... was the way I poured the tea-"

"When you call me Saigyouji-san, it sounds like I'm some old lady." Yuyuko pouts. "How rude, I'm not that old! I'm a young, lively spirit!"

I glance at Youmu, putting a silent plea for help into it. "Uhh... then..."

"Yuyuko."

"What?"

"Yu. Yu. Ko." She leans towards to me, her mouth exaggerating the pronunciation.

"Ah, Yu-Yuyuko."

"That's one too many Yu's." Even closer now.

"Yuyuko-san."

"No! Yuyuko." Nearly head-to-head...

_What the- is she tearing up! _"Okay! Okay! Yuyuko. Happy?"

"Good boy. You should listen to your elders." So saying, she got up and floated out of the room.

_But didn't you say you were a young , lively spirit just now!_ I stare after her, then look around for any sign of a hidden camera.

Across the table, Youmu sips from her own cup of tea, apparently unconcerned with what had just occurred. "Please finish your food so I can wash the dishes."

_I feel a strong urge to facepalm._

* * *

><p>"Konpaku-san?"<p>

Youmu stops her exercise and looks at me. "Really, you don't have to keep addressing me by my surname. Just call me Youmu."

_Oh good, finally. _"Okay then, Youmu-san, is that _suburi_ (3) you're doing?"

"Yes." She answered, resuming the motions of swinging her blade. "A thousand swings is the norm for a warm up before I do my exercises."

"Do you have a _shinai _(4) I can borrow? A bit of training would do me some good."

"Of course. One moment, Ikuto-san." I turn my head to follow her as she goes into the residence and comes back out with what I asked for. "Here is an old one I don't use so often."

"Thanks." _Lighter than what I'm used to._

Lift up, swing down, lift up, swing down... it's a simple pattern to follow. But my muscles aren't used to doing a thousand yet; during my own self-training, the highest I ever managed was two hundred. Knowing that Youmu can do a thousand and proceed to do other exercises later is a little deflating for my pride.

But doing this allows me to think while my body moves, and there are quite a few things that I want to consider.

Firstly, the key that I received from Yukari. So far, I don't feel any power like the way I did with Youmu's swords, and I doubt Yukari would simply lie to me. Logically thinking, it's probably a normal key that she picked up, and did something to it with her power. I tried doing something with it before coming to see Youmu, but either it's not something I can activate without the right conditions, or I'm wrong in thinking that its power is to open gateways. Probably the second one, in my opinion, though the former might also apply.

Secondly, my life here. I'm not going to get strong enough to survive just by following Youmu's training, nor can I always tag along with someone strong enough to protect me. The only way I can think of is to...

CLICK!

By the time I registered that I had just become the recipient of a photo, Youmu was already streaking towards the culprit. There was a flash of silver as she swung her blade, but it failed to make contact with its target, who slipped aside just as quickly.

"Hey, hey! Watch it! I nearly lost a few feathers there, you know!"

"Sha-Shameimaru-san?" I stare at the tengu. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's obvious! As a journalist, I came for an interview, of course!"

* * *

><p>Honestly, did anyone expect me to pick Yuyuko &amp; Youmu? XD<p>

Reimu might be a nice girl, but I prefer some variety.

(1) Onii-chan, a term used to address an older brother, it's more intimate than -san.

(2) Japanese way of saying grace before meals.

(3) Practice swings, done in kendo and kenjutsu.

(4) A practice sword made out of bamboo, used in kendo.


	4. Chapter 3: Tengu Interview

Aya Shameimaru. She's a tengu, a crow youkai. Supposedly the fastest in all of Gensokyo. Like most tengus, she's somewhat of a journalist, going around gathering information for her articles in her own newspaper.

_Clothes: white blouse, black belt, short black skirt, red cap with white fluff balls dangling from it. Items: Camera hanging around her neck, notebook & pen, orange colored fan hanging from her belt. Features: shoulder length black hair, red eyes, a complexion that's pale for someone who supposedly goes out quite often._

"So... you want to interview me."

"Yes! There are lots I'd love to ask you!" Aya's bubbling with excitement, and her writing hand's already moving.

"Well... not that I mind, but... what newspaper are you reporting for?" I know already, but it's a habit for me to pretend I don't know stuff just to hear what other people will say.

A newspaper appears in her hand as if by magic. "I run the Bunbunmaru Newspaper! Here, please have a copy! This one is from a few days ago, before you came."

"You don't mind if I read it right now?"

With her consent, I start flipping through. It's... consistent with what I know. The articles within are short, and for every one truth that appears, such as 'Explosion at the Scarlet Devil Mansion', there are at least three opinions or theories, some of which make really big leaps in logic, like 'The Ordinary Witch must have really fast reading speed'.

Still, I can't help but chuckle a little when reading it, something that makes Aya react happily. For a gossip rag, she really does put a lot of effort into it. While the thing is filled with opinions and stuff, anything original always starts with something true, and her writing style is quite catchy and interesting.

_Now that the matter of content is settled... the paper is... mixed. Newspaper quality paper is mixed with printer paper, guess that means the tengus use paper from the outside world? As for the printing... neat script, probably done by the kappas, though I wonder if they do that wooden carving that olden Chinese people used to do. I'd love to see how they print stuff here._

"Haha, this is quite the interesting paper you've got."

"Thanks! So, would you answer a few questions for me?" Her pen quivers with barely restrained eagerness, and her eyes are practically sparkling.

I cross my arms. "First, I'd like to say something."

"Yes?"

"Let me carry Youmu inside. Leaving her lying around outside doesn't make me feel comfortable."

The half-ghost is lying unconscious behind the tengu, having failed in her attempt to repel the intruder. _Geez... Aya is REALLY strong when she's got her mind set on something._ Their fight was so fast that all I could see were blurs, apart from when I was forced to cover my eyes against the strong wind Aya kicked up. Then in one moment, it was over.

"Ah? Oh yes, yes, but hurry up please, there's so much I want to ask!"

Yuyuko's nowhere to be seen as I sheathe Youmu's swords and carry her into my room. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not; I'm still not entirely ready to deal with her after how she acted during breakfast. But more importantly, there's a more immediate matter to settle first.

"Okay okay! First..."

I hold up a hand. "By the express request of Yukari-san, I cannot talk about the Outside World." I know it's a lie, but somehow, talking about the modern world doesn't feel right.

Aya blinks. "Huh? Well, that's fine, but what I want to ask about isn't that. What I want to know is... what do you think of this place?"

"Here? Or Gensokyo?"

"Both."

"Can't really say for sure. I've only been here less than a day, you know?"

"But surely you have some opinions, yes?"

"Well... being in this place isn't so bad. As for Hakugyokurou, it's a little cold, but I kind of like it. It's quiet and peaceful."

"I see I see." Aya nods quickly, writing down God knows what in that notebook of hers. "Next, what do you think of the one who brought you here, a certain Yukari Yakumo?"

"Hmm~ that's a tough question." I cross my arms once more. "In some ways, I'm grateful to her. For bringing me here and all."

"Oh? Sounds like you've got other opinions too."

"Those I'll keep to myself." I reply firmly. "Anything else?"

"I couldn't help but notice... Youmu-san, you said?" Aya leans in with a conspiratorial air. "When you appeared here, Ikuto-kun, it was 'Yakumo-san', and you greeted me with 'Shameimaru-san'. So... that's some pretty quick progress you've made in your relationship with her."

_Crap._ _This is going to come back to bite me in the ass later, I just know it._ "Not really, both Yuyuko and Youmu-san were the ones who told me I didn't have to be so formal."

"Yuyuko?" Aya grins, a bit ominously. "Ohoho~ Care to tell me about that one?"

"It's Yuyuko being Yuyuko."

She looks disappointed. "Ayayaya~... I get it." But she quickly recovers. "Then, just one more question."

I sigh. "What do I think of Youmu, right?"

"Yes! It's so nice to interview someone as understanding as you! So what do you think of her?"

_That lively disposition is hard to resist... To stonewall, or... ah, to hell with it!_

"She's... amazingly dedicated. I honestly respect her, even though I've only known her for less than a day."

"Really? She's that incredible?"

"Why do you sound like you don't believe me?"

Aya flaps a hand. "Not at all, it's just that you said it so seriously even I'm feeling a little impressed." She glances down at what she's written. "So... what do you think of her... as a male?"

"Wait, you mean..." I cover my eyes with one hand. "Of course you do... ah, hell... she's cute."

"I see... So that means you would date her if you were single. You are single, right?"

"...yeah."

She writes a bit more, and snaps her notebook shut. "Well then! Thank you very much for that interview, look forward to my next paper!"

I grab her wrist before she can stand. "Aya-san, wait!"

"Ayaya~ making a move on me now? But we've only just got to know each other!"

_That's a reaction I'd expect from Yuyuko._ "No! I want to ask you a favor."

She pauses. "A favor? What is it?"

I consider the idea in my mind. "Well, it's not so much a favor... more of a proposal, an offer, something like that."

That got her interest. "Tell me more."

"Your articles are interesting, I admit. But I think they can be improved. Mainly, by having more content in them, and less on the opinions and stuff."

Aya's expression is thoughtful. "Rinnosuke did say that too, now that you mention it."

"Well, here's what I propose. Uhh... in exchange for, uhh... not... erm," _Shit, how do I phrase it?_ "Ah, not doing any more articles of a personal nature on me while I'm staying over with someone, I'll give a full interview at the end of my stayover with whoever I'm with."

She blinks confusedly. "I didn't quite get that, sorry."

_Damn, that didn't come out the way I meant it to._ "Okay, you know when you're reporting the news, what do you do? You go in, interview the related parties and witnesses, right?"Seeing her nod, I continue. "I know you're the fastest reporter in Gensokyo, but I kind of prefer it if you didn't... erm... keep coming by to ask me questions. So, I'm asking you to hold off these ninja interviews until I've finished my period of stay. Is that okay?"

Aya's pondering what I'm asking. "Okayyyy... but what is it you're offering in exchange for that?"

"One, all-round, comprehensive interview when I'm done with an area. Think of it like a writing column for a paper. Doesn't an article with the title 'An Outsider's report on Gensokyo' sound interesting?" Mentally, I cross my fingers hoping she'll take it.

Slowly, she starts to smile. "That _does _sound interesting. I'll accept, on one more condition. If you get involved in any incident, I get to interview you."

"Only regarding that incident?" I see her nod. "Then we have a deal." I hold out a fist.

She stares at it quizzically. "What's that?"

"I don't know how people seal deals and agreements here, though I hear in olden times they spit on their hands before doing a handshake." Seeing her expression change, I quickly go on, "But here's another way I know. It's called a fist bump; we just knock fists lightly against each other to show that we'll respect the mutual agreement."

"Interesting custom." Aya comments, smiling. "We have a deal, Ikuto-kun."

That said, we exchanged a fist bump. I'm sure that's a first for Gensokyo.

* * *

><p>"So you gave her an interview." Youmu repeated.<p>

I nod. "Didn't see any harm in it."

The girl stares at me. "I think you've made a mistake thinking so."

I shrug. "Not the first time. Let's just leave it and see how things turn out. Now..."

We both turn to look out at the garden. The sight of the state it's in draws a simultaneous sigh from both of us. Thanks to the strong winds Aya caused, the whole area is covered with leaves and twigs. I feel for Youmu, having to deal with all this on her own.

"So, where do you keep the brooms?"

"I'll go get them." Youmu gets up and heads out of the room. "Thank you for your help."

Blinking, I look in her direction. _That's weird, I thought she'd protest a little. And is she... blushing! Wait... what's a logical reason for this! Think... think... oh no, she couldn't have..._

"Ikuto-san? You're looking very pale, are you okay?" Youmu asks from the door, already carrying two brooms.

"Huh? Uh... yeah! Yeah, I'm fine!" I quickly go to take a broom from her. "Here, let's go sweep quick- Woah!"

The broom slips from my fingers and lands on the floor. I quickly crouch to pick it up, and my hand contacts it... just as a pale hand does the same. Looking up, I realize just how close I am to those... blue... eyes... and... pink-tinged...

_She IS cute..._ I mentally kick myself when the memory of Aya's question floats to the surface of my mind. _ONE DAY IS TOO EARLY! _

"Youmu~ why is the garden so dirty~?" Yuyuko's voice is awfully close. "What happened, Youmu~?"

Instantly, the two of us spring to our feet, barely a moment before Yuyuko pads into view from behind the side of the screen door opposite us. For a few seconds, we stare at her, and she stares at us, standing close to each other, holding on to brooms. My odd sense of humor suddenly takes the moment to tell me I should laugh. Thankfully, I manage to repress it.

"Yuyuko-sama! We were just about to go sweep the garden!" Youmu's voice squeaks a little. "There was a bit of a strong wind just now!"

"Oh my. Then take care of it, please." Yuyuko smiles, and she resumes walking, humming a soft tune.

Our heads turn to follow her as she continues onward and out of sight. Once again, Youmu synchronizes with me in another sigh. Without any further words, we begin the arduous task of cleaning up the mess left by Aya.

Needless to say, Youmu finishes faster than I do despite covering more than half of the entire place. She's not the gardener of Hakugyokurou for nothing, I guess. With that chore taken care of, we return to doing _suburi_ once more. Once again, she deals another unintentional blow to my pride by actually doing a thousand swings, while I'm forced to rest my weary arms.

Then again, I wasn't doing _suburi_ like she did, but my own style of putting all of my strength into one strike with one hand. _Hundred and eighty times on both arms, a new record for me. But it's not enough._

"Youmu-san, can I ask a request of you?"

* * *

><p><em>Damn, this is harder than I thought.<em> I stop to catch my breath, focusing on getting my breathing back to normal. _The cool temperature is draining my energy faster than I thought._

"Are you sick?" I feel something cool- no, COLD, touch my forehead. "Uwa~ You're burning up! That's not good!"

"Yuyuko?" I look up to see the pink-haired mistress of Hakugyokurou."It's normal to be hot after running long distances... for humans, I mean."

"You are a human?" Yuyuko tilts her head to the side, her expression puzzled. "Then why are you here?"

I let my head drop down again. "Does the name Yukari ring any bells?"

"Yukari? Ah! My friend Yukari Yakumo, you mean?"

_Oh, did that work?_

"I don't think she's the sort to ring bells though." She perks up slightly. "But she does manipulate boundaries!"

_WHAT THE HELL!_ _Somebody give me a _harisen_!_ (1) _Anybody! She needs a good whack to the head!_

Of course, no chance of that happening. "Yuyuko, I'm staying over here because Yukari asked you to, remember?" I look her in the eyes, trying to see if my words have any effect.

"Mmm~"

_No, it's not working._ "Huh... is that...?"

Near where the two of us are, there is a very big tree standing. But what makes it stand out is not its size, but how bare it is. While the other plants and trees in the garden bear leaves and the occasional flower, this large tree only has a few leaves, as if on the verge of death. Yet... it's alive. The bark has that lively quality that no dead plant would have. That means this is the... Saigyou Ayakashi? The one which Yuyuko's soul was used to seal?

I glance at Yuyuko, who seems to have forgotten about me, and is looking at the Saigyou Ayakashi again. Is this how she usually spends her time? She looks kind of sad, somehow. As if she heard my thoughts, the ghost turns to look back at me, just as a wind starts to blow.

Without intending to, my vision focuses itself on her. She's holding on to her hat with one hand so it doesn't fly away in the wind, but her pink hair flutters in it, framing her pink eyes and soft smile. With the wind sending waves through that light blue kimono of hers, the entire scene seems ethereally beautiful.

_Damn, if I had a camera, I'd so take the shot right now._

"Yuyuko-sama! I've brought snacks!" Youmu calls from where she's standing in the corridor. "Ikuto-san, would you like some too?"

"Oh, Youmu~ How nice of you~" Yuyuko turns and starts floating in the direction of the food.

I wave back at Youmu. "No, thanks! I still have a lot more running to do."

"Ikuto~" Hearing Yuyuko call me, I pause and look back. "Don't overwork yourself, 'kay~?"

_I bet she's faking that airhead character of hers._ Waving, I continue my run.

* * *

><p>So, my life in Hakugyokurou settled into a routine. Mornings started with early wakeups by Youmu, then I'd try my best to run her patrol route as many times as I could before she finished it. That done, we'd cook breakfast. After a bit of rest, which may involve playing some board game with Yuyuko to keep her company, I receive sword training from Youmu.<p>

Well... it's not just sword training. She's also teaching me how to avoid danmaku. Unlike the games, it's not so easy to see how many waves of bullets are actually coming at me when in first person view. Many times, I graze past the first one only, and end up getting hit by the next wave or a melee attack. Still... I'm improving, no doubt about that.

Then there's lunch. I managed to actually cook on my own; fried rice with diced vegetables and meat. Not as good as I recall my dad did, but I think I did pretty well for a first timer. Yuyuko liked it quite a bit, I recall. But as usual, not even close to Youmu's repertoire. Working up to it, I guess. Once in a while, I recall some of the recipes I read before Yukari gapped me here, and write them down so I can try it once I've gained more experience. Wonder how they'll react to having Xiao Long Bao.

Afternoons are random mixes of training and leisure, depending on certain things. If Youmu's out on an errand from Yuyuko, I usually practice some unarmed combat instead of the sword or fix a snack for the ever-hungry mistress, maybe playing board games with her. Or else, one of the other girls come by for a visit. Aya's kept her promise not to interview me, but I see her sometimes. Reimu did come by to check up on me, and she seemed assured that I was fine here. Komachi comes by to slack, she's pretty fun to talk as long as I divert her from the topic of death, while the Prismriver sisters hold pretty good performances.

As for Yukari... she never mentions the key she gave me. But she comes by to drink with Yuyuko, or simply for conversation. I grew tired of expecting her to actually tell me something helpful, and just treated her with usual courtesy. She did give me some scrolls and books to read, saying it was thanks for having such an interesting mix of songs for her to listen to. Of course, no mention of ever returning my Ipod.

There's not much to do at night unless Yuyuko's hosting a party for the ghosts, so once I've taken a bath, it's either a bit of reading up on Gensokyo from what Yukari gave me, or trying to make the key work. So far, it doesn't seem like one of those Stellar Spirit Keys from Fairy Tail; doesn't seem like I can summon anything with it. I try every night, but other than that, I just leave it on a leather thong around my neck. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems to be waiting for something.

As for my relationships with Youmu and Yuyuko? It's hard dealing with Yuyuko, but she seems to get more serious after she's had some food, so that's when I talk to her. She's actually pretty sharp, and can be quite interesting to talk to... provided she doesn't push my buttons too much with that idiot acting of hers. She does quite an elegant fan dance, though I only saw her do it once. But overall... I just don't know what to do with her.

Youmu's... let's just say she's been acting differently around me since she picked up a copy of the Bunbunmaru when she went into the living world. I only got to see it when Aya came by a few days late to show me what she wrote about me. There's been quite a few more situation similar to that time with the broom, but Youmu hasn't been actively avoiding me. Rather, she seems to enjoy spending time with me, though that might be because of the things I'm telling her about my world.

But... it can't stay this way forever.

* * *

><p>(1) A paper fan, usually used by the <em>tsukkomi <em>(straight man) to whack the _boke_ (person playing the fool) in anime comedies. E.g. Kaname Chidori on Sagara Sousuke in Full Metal Panic

Well, what do my readers think so far? I'm waiting for some review to tell me if there's something I'm in need of fixing, etc.

And yes, the next chapter should be the first fight... and I think it's going to be violent enough to warrant an M rating... well, wait and see, I guess.


	5. Chapter 4: Fight to Live

**This chapter is where things are going to get really violent, one of the reasons why I'm upping the rating to M. This is my first time ever writing an action scene, so I hope I can do it justice.**

**Hehe... now that it's M... should I indulge my fantasies with some... *ahem*. Never mind, let's just go on with the story first.**

**Honestly, I thought that I could focus on my exams with the first few chapters out of the way. I WAS WRONG! The flow of this story has caught me up and won't let me go!**

**As a note: Thanks to Sasquatch for my first review.**

* * *

><p>"Man, it's starting to get even colder now." I mutter, shivering in spite of myself.<p>

The days are blending into each other so closely that I'm not even sure of the exact number of days I've spent here. It's been at least five weeks for sure, though. And nearly every day has been filled with training of some form. I've finally shed that roll of fat around my waist, and though it might be a bit prideful of me to say it, I'm getting quite muscular now. Maybe a bit of posing in front of the mirror...

"My~ aren't you the handsome one." Yukari's voice suddenly spoke up from behind me.

_Damn, that would have scared the heck out of me if I hadn't been expecting it a bit. _"Ah, I was looking for you." I turn to look at the shameless intruder of my room.

"Oh? You planning on leaving here already?" Her expression tells me that she doesn't believe that of me.

Shaking my head, I point at my clothes folded on the table nearby. "I need something thicker than those thin clothes soon."

"Ah yes... autumn's nearly upon us." Yukari yawns. "Aaah~ I feel like sleeping once more..."

"Do that later." I tell her firmly. "I already told Youmu and Yuyuko about this, so do you mind setting me down in the Human Village so I can get more clothes?" If she noticed that I was now dropping the suffix from Youmu's name, she didn't show any sign of it.

She smiles sleepily. "Of course, it's not a problem for me. But why didn't you ask for me to get you your clothes from your own home?"

"You know where I- Oh." I start to say, but stop on seeing her hold up one of my identity cards from my wallet. "Anyway, it's no point getting anything thick from there. My country's only got a dry season and a rainy season."

Yukari yawns again, looking extremely disinterested. "Well, if you say so..."

"Anyway, let me get dressed and tell Yuyuko that I'm going to buy clothes before you gap me anywhere." I point at the door. "Shoo."

"Yes, yes~" She sunk back into her gap, waving one hand.

* * *

><p>"Can't believe it slipped my mind that I don't have money here." I grumble to Youmu, who's walking next to me. "Sorry for making you come with me, Youmu."<p>

She smiles, shaking her head reassuringly. "Don't worry so much. You haven't been to the village yet, so it's best if I accompany you."

"So, where to?" I look around at the wood and stone buildings, wondering what kind of things they held.

We went to a clothing store first for my clothes. They didn't have any in my size, and with the tailor busy with other tasks at the moment, I was told to come back in a few hours. That done, we went around the village, window shopping or buying groceries for Hakugyokurou. I did see the temple school where Keine was teaching, but since she looked busy teaching the kids when I peeked in, I just left her alone. Eventually, we ended up having some tea and snacks at a sweets shop.

"Ikuto-san, I'm going to be going to Kourindou for a bit. Would you like to come along?"

I finish my tea and set the cup down. "I was thinking I'd like to look around a little bit more. How about we meet up at that dragon statue later?"

"Ah... okay then."

Youmu looked so disappointed that I reacted by petting her on the head. "Don't worry, I enjoy spending time with you."

Almost instantly, her face turns red. "I-I-I'll be, be going then...!"

She stands up, bows to me, and tosses money on the table for the bill before dashing out of the shop. _Really, Youmu's just so cute when she's like that._ _Oh well, now where should I go?_

* * *

><p><em>Wait, why the hell am I here!<em> I glance around quickly, taking in my surroundings. _This is the Misty Lake, isn't it? How the heck did I get here?_

"Yukari!" I shout, trying to catch her attention. "You're here, aren't you! Show yourself! You did this, I know you did!"

No response, maybe she's sleeping. I try to search my memory for how I got to this place... _Ah, Sakuya! I saw her in the village, and tried to chase after her to talk to her... which seems like a stupid thing to do now._ _That Yukari definitely did something to make me do that. ...or I could just admit that I was being stupid... nope, feels better to blame Yukari._

"A human?"

I spin around to see who had spoken. At first glance, the person standing among the trees looked human, but the pointed ears and sharp nails gave him out as a youkai right away. More alarmingly was the way he was looking at me; my senses were telling me that I was in danger from him.

"Yes, who're you?" I reply cautiously.

"An outsider?" He ignores my question, and seems to be speaking to himself. "Ahh... it's been so long since I've seen someone wearing such clothes."

I sigh, closing my eyes for a moment. "You're... going to try to eat me or something?"

_That got a reaction._ "You know what I'm going to do?" He asks surprisedly.

That settles it, I'm in danger from this youkai. Damn Yukari, I'm going to get you for this later! For now... let's try to talk my way out of it.

"Actually, I was looking for Byakuren Hijiri. Do you know where Myouren Temple is?"

"I do. But you're not going to get there." The youkai grins, showing his sharp teeth. "You're going to make a fine meal for me."

_Okay. NOW I know I'm in for a fight_. I don't know danmaku, I probably can't outrun him, and Youmu has no idea where I am right now. He's been slowly closing in, and now he's about twenty feet away. _Not good, my body's still a bit sore from training. I'm fighting at... seventy, maybe eighty percent at best... this doesn't look good. He's at my height; bigger than most people around here._

"Can I say something first?" I clear my throat without waiting for a reply. "I just want to say, I'm going to put my life on the line here."

He utters a short, barking laugh. "And I'm going to take it!"

I expected his lunge, with his speed slower than Youmu's, and sidestep quickly to the right, avoiding a thrust from his left hand. Quickly, I counter by grabbing him by the wrist with my left while I slam two fast blows into the ribcage. The shock of hitting something hard rings through my right hand, but adrenaline's surging through me now; ignoring the pain, I follow up once more with a heavy strike to the temple.

"GRRAAAAHHH!" He bellows, and twists to throw me off.

_Got you!_ Having anticipated that, I already jumped to the side without releasing my grip on his wrist. The force of his swing is worrying; if he even managed to land a direct blow on me, I would be severely injured at the very least. _Feet, touch down and support! Right hand, support under the armpit. Left and right together, pull and push!_

Borrowing the power of the centrifugal force, I swing the youkai into a nearby rock, hard. The sound of flesh meeting something hard has barely faded before I follow through with the momentum, letting my right hand serve as the pivot for my elbow to smash into the back of his head. Even as I do so, I can hear my Arnis instructor's voice repeating advice that I always kept in mind.

_Always go into _serrada (1) _position. Destroy the weapon_,_ prevent your opponent from using it against you._

The blow to the back of his head sends another shock through my right arm. Pleading with it to bear with a bit more, I use the rebound force to pull back... swinging up... tilting my body like when I do my practice swings... my left hand automatically twists his wrist, putting his arm at the right position... and as always, I shout the important word in my mind.

_CUT!_ "HRRRAAAAAH!"

The point of my elbow slices the air, breaking the tensed arm at the joint with a sickening crack. The arm bends grotesquely, with bumps showing where the bones are pressing against the skin. His painful scream shocks me back into reality, and I leap away just as he twists out of my grip. The nails on his broken left arm flick like a whip, and I feel a burning on my left palm to match the numbness in my right arm.

"RRRAAARRR! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU'LL DIE FOR THAT!"

_Like I said..._ "I'm putting my life on the line." I repeat, imagining those words flowing through my body, converting the pain into energy.

This time, he lunges even faster! Leading with the right! Left sidestep, twisting block on the elbow to send his aim off! Pivot left foot, throwing the hip into it, and slam the right knee into his body! Follow up! Don't let up on him! Slap with my bloody left! Good, now fall back! Ugh!

_Shit, he got me!_ I focus my will on my chest, trying to manage the pain from the three slashes across it. _Damn, he reacts fast, and my blows don't seem to be having much of an effect!_ _If he had the skill to match his physical abilities, I'd be dead already!_

"Kill you... tear you limb from limb..." The youkai's growls at me.

_Screw it! Either I win, or I die!_ "HYAAAH!"

He's surprised that I'm attacking, and I use the chance to deliver a snapping kick to his broken elbow. As he clutches at his injury and howls in pain, I quickly close in, grabbing him by the right shoulder, and forcing him to his knees by stomping behind the joint. With the two points of connection as pivots, I swing around behind, pulling my hands back for an instant, and slamming them on his ears.

_One! Now two! _Pulling back once more, I chop at the neck. _Ow! That's some fast recovery!_

Jumping back once more, I spare a quick glance for the small rips in the fingers on my right hand while I clench my left to deal with the pain. The youkai seemed hardly affected by the blows to the neck, and twisted fast enough to try and bite my fingers off. If I hadn't pulled back for a third strike when I did...

_Three wounds already..._ _and I'm getting winded. True combat's nothing like the sparring I had with Youmu._ _And here he comes again!_

This time, he came in with a wide swing, scoring a slash on my left arm. Gritting my teeth, I fling the blood pooled up in that hand into his eyes. Now! As he's flailing about blindly, aim a low kick at the knee I stomped on!

_Grgh! My left leg now... but he's stumbled. Take this!_ I step in and grab his wrist, and yank it downwards. _Good, pull up, damn you!_

Using the combined force of his attempt to escape my hold and the legs I built up with all the training, I slam the heel of my palm into his chin, feeling his jaw click as it slams shut. But in exchange... a heavy blow hits me in my right side.

_Shit, he actually used his broken elbow!_ _Argh, that hurts! Feels like I got hit by a stick without any armor._ (2)_ Bear with it! It's not over yet, he's coming again!_

I twist my body to the right, feeling his skin brush against my palms as I deflect the blow slightly to conserve energy, and slide forward, bringing my left foot down in a heavy stomp as I aim the elbow at his ribs. Inside the area of calmness within me, I chuckle at the fact that I'm actually using a Chinese martial art move that I practiced so many times after seeing it once in a manga.

_Felt something crack there._ The flash of satisfaction vanishes right away as I roll my head anticlockwise to avoid his backswing. _Damn, that nearly took my head off!_ _Pinch fingers together, and quick jab at the solar plexus! Wha-?_

Unexpectedly, the youkai had leapt back to avoid my counter. We stare at each other, breathing hard. His eyes tell me that I'm no longer some weak human to him, but his urge to kill me hasn't diminished either. I beckon with my right, daring him to come and get me. Sure enough, he lunges once again.

_Another left? No, oh shi-! ARRGGGH! _I feel the acrid taste of gastric juices in my mouth to go with the heavy force that smashed into my belly. _A.. roundhouse... kick... He feinted! The left's coming for real now!_

Gritting my teeth, I grab hold of the leg and quickly swing my right foot out, hooking it behind the heel of his supporting leg and jerking as hard as I can. The incoming claws reverse direction barely an inch from my eyes as the youkai loses his balance and falls backwards, leaving me with a sense of barely-avoided death from the wind on my face.

_His legs are strong! Disable and retreat!_ I twist my body hard, planting his knee on the ground and adjusting my grip around his ankle. _Break!_

Just as the tension reaches breaking point, he bucks, throwing me off. Quickly, I roll, but the shock of hitting a rock knocks the breath out of me. Panting, I struggle to my feet, never taking my eyes off the youkai, who's doing the same. A slight limp tells me that I managed to deal some damage with that ankle lock, but with my current condition, I'm not sure if it'll be enough.

_In... and out..._ Forcing myself to inhale and exhale slowly, I get my breathing in order once more. _Flurry, or killing strikes? _I ask myself. _Let's try the former. Rhythm, switch!_

Fists, palms facing out, arms up, loosen up shoulders by rolling them around. Do the same for hips, focus on moving six points, the hands, elbows and knees. The youkai seems puzzled by my movements, which is what I'm hoping for. With an explosive burst of breath, I charge in.

A kick coming for my right! Counter catch between elbow and knee! Damn, barely managed that! If not for adrenaline boosting my reaction and force, I'd be throwing up now!

_Grab it! Hammer the limb, punish it!_ "HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!" I scream, slamming my elbow into the ankle over and over while my instructor's words go through my mind.

The youkai leaps off the ground with his other foot, swinging it towards me, but the moment I felt his weight in my grip change, I had already released and skipped back. Before he recovers, step forward with the left, sync every limb movement together! Pivot left foot, twist left leg, bring up the right, twist the trunk and hips, and snap it into a kick with, EVERYTHING, I'VE, GOT!

My shin collides with the side of his head as my hamstrings scream from the extension. Driving through, my leg slips up and over his head, and I stumble slightly while trying to recover my balance after that kick. More pain spread through my body, making me gasp for air.

_Damn, he got that leg with his reactive slash! But there's no denying that kick really stunned his ass._ Grimacing, I force the pain burning in my right shin out of my mind. _Running low on energy here... but no way in hell am I gonna give up!_

I force my protesting legs into a dash, ducking and cutting to the left at the last moment to avoid his defensive swings. Once more, take the _serrada_ position. Snaking my left arm over his as his backswing loses momentum, I grip his palm with both hands, putting my body weight against his tricep in a twist to the right to send him staggering forward.

_Disarm number nine!_ _Counter twist in the reverse direction!_ Once more making use of his attempt at resistance, I swing to the left, bringing his hand in a vicious twist over his shoulder to jerk him off his feet, and slamming him down with an elbow on his chest. _Now! While he's winded! Finish it!_

I switch my grip around, using my arm as the fulcrum against his tricep with my right clamps on his wrist. Growling, I _fling_ myself over his body, and feel a _pop_ for my effort. Fire burns in my lower back; that bastard _BIT_ me! Pushing off the ground as hard as I can with my legs, I twist the dislocated shoulder even more, ignoring the pain of having flesh ripped out of my back, and finally release it, rolling some distance away to a stop.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..." We're both panting really hard, making eye contact. "This is... putting... my life... on the line..." I gasp.

There's blood. Lots of it. I blink dizzily at how much of the grass is covered; did I really lose that much? I try to push myself up, but my strength fails me, sending me back down.

"Haa... Ha. Ha, hahaha!" The youkai's laughing. "You're dying!"

"Shut... up..." My eyelids are fluttering; they... wait, what's that?

I hear rustling, and from the corner of my eye, I can see him start to sit up. "I'll heal... but before then... I'm going to end your... grr, life with your throat... in my teeth."

Grimacing, I force my hand to move... and grab that shiny thing. It takes a few blinks before I make out what it is: Yukari's key. The thong must have been cut when he sliced me across the chest. _Damn you, Yukari. It'd be nice if you told me how this worked before I got attacked._ My fingers close around the cool metal, as the youkai staggers towards me on his knees.

"DIE!" Fangs, stained red with my blood, descend towards me.

_LIKE HELL I AM!_ I scream in my mind, but my body refuses to respond. _I'MMA PUNCH THAT FACE OF YOURS! _Bending my entire will into my right arm, I drive it upwards with the key in it.

A flash of silver passes through my narrowing field of vision, and I see a thin line of grey... blocking the jaws from actually reaching me... the key... feels thicker... so much blood... mine? I turn my head to try and see... Youmu's... sheathing her sword... I must be... hallucinating... she can't be... here...

* * *

><p>(1) Filipino expression for 'closed', as I learned. Not sure how to describe it, but it's when you're on the outside of one of your opponent's arms, which limits him from using the other one to attack you efficiently while you're free to attack his side. Quite an advantageous position to be when fighting.<p>

(2) In certain systems of Arnis, sparring with live canes (actual sticks that aren't padded) has to be done with a full set of armor (helmet, groin guard, arm/shin pads and body armor to absorb the shock). Even so, the force of the swing HURTS.


	6. Chapter 5: Recovery in the Eternal House

**Thanks to my readers and those who are following this story!**

* * *

><p><em>I wake up, and blink my eyes a few times. "Where is this place?"<em>

_"Oh? Aren't you..."_

_Someone steps out of the shadows... red hair, blue and white clothes, and a scythe... Komachi! What's she doing here?_

_"You're Ikuto, aren't you? The human that was living in Hakugyokurou."_

_"Yeah, that's me." I look around at the barren surroundings. "Where is this- no wait, how the heck did I even get here?" I ask, already guessing where I am._

_The shinigami _(1) _peers at me with her red eyes. "Looks to me like you're dead."_

Really? _I look myself over. _No wounds, clothes are fine, I don't look insubstantial or anything ghost-like. But if she says that...

_"Damn, that sucks." I look at her. "Are you going to ferry me over the river?"_

_"Hmm~ I don't quite mind... but I'm kinda bored here."_

_Shrugging, I sit down on the rocky shore. "No rush then. You want to talk a bit?"_

_"Sure!" She flops down next to me. "It's been kind of quiet lately, I was thinking of going somewhere to find somebody to talk to."_

_Grinning, I tease her. "What would Shikieiki do if she heard you say that, huh?"_

_"Probably hit me with that rod of hers and lecture me for hours."_

_"Must be tough when she actually does catch you."_

_Komachi shudders. "Yes it is. Anyway, how about you? How did you die?"_

_I give her a summary of what I can recall. "Quite screwed up to die on my first time outside the Netherworld." I conclude, and look at her._

_She's shaking all over, and I get a strong feeling about what's going to happen. "BWAHAHAHAHA! That's just rich! You died from blood loss of all things? Really! It's too much for me! AHAHAHA!"_

Yep, she's laughing at me. _"Well, shit happens. I'm used to it happening to me before I came to Gensokyo, so it makes no difference whether it happens here or there."_

_The redhead shinigami's laughter slows down, and finally ceases. "You're pretty blasé about being dead for a human."_

_"OH MY GOD, I'M DEAD? REALLY?" I pretend to be totally shocked by the news, an act that gets a fresh wave of laughter from her. "Seriously, it's not like I can just go back to my body and jump right into it and come back to life, you know?"_

_"True, true. But-" Komachi looks at me more closely. "Huh, guess I was wrong. You're still alive."_

_"Oh really?" I reply sarcastically. "Then what am I doing here?"_

_She shrugs. "Sometimes, people get a shock strong enough to dislodge their spirits from their bodies. There are also some who can do that of their own will, but whatever the case, I see them here sometimes."_

_I give myself another look-over again. "How can you tell?"_

_"Look." Komachi points above my head, and I look in the direction she's pointing. "That line connected to your head there, that's a tether to your body. It was practically invisible when I first saw you, but it's been growing thicker, enough for me to see it now."_

_She was right; even as I watched, the thin white thread was gradually expanding. Now that I noticed it, there was a slight tugging inside me, as though I was being called or pulled away. So I'm still alive then; and this means it's nearly time to wake up._

_She stretched her arms and leaned back. "Oh well. I'll just take a nap then."_

_"Sweet dreams, Komachi-san. Let's talk again at Hakugyokurou sometime, 'kay?"_

_"Mm. See ya, Ikuto." Komachi closes her eyes. "Don't let me see you here again, alright?"_

* * *

><p>It's dark, probably nighttime; I can tell that by the shadows that cover the unfamiliar wood ceiling. Next, my body refuses to move, though I can bend my fingers and toes, for all the good that they'll-<p>

_OWWW! That hurts! Let's see... I can tell that my arms and shins are injured from the pain in them. Sensation's coming back a little... bandages, and there's a blanket covering me... Neck muscles... are fine. Let's try turning a little..._

No one was to my left, nor was there anyone to my right. I try to speak, but only a soft groan comes out of my drying mouth. For someone who's never been bedridden before, it seriously sucks not being able to move. Sighing, I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep. After what feels like twenty minutes, I give up and open them again.

_Oh wait, I can't speak, but I can breath, I can move my lips well enough. That's enough to whistle._ I pucker my lips up, moistening them with my tongue. _Alright, here goes._

All I manage is a few weak, high-pitched squeaks that definitely would not penetrate the screen doors enough to be audible past them, but soon enough, I hear some footsteps approaching. The sound of the door sliding open, then suddenly a beam of light hits my face, making me scrunch my eyes up reflexively.

"Master, he's awake!" _Soft, gentle voice... don't know it._

More footsteps. "Ah, so he is. How did you know, Udonge?" _Udonge? Ah, so that's where I am. Eientei, and that's Eirin and Reisen._

"I heard an odd whistling from the room." Soft footfalls approach me, and a shadow blocks the light.

"Mmm..." I crack open one eye to see, but I can't make out whose face is over me with the light shining from behind her. "Ei..."

"Udonge, bring some water." Sure enough, I'd guessed correctly that it was Eirin.

"Yes, Master." Reisen dashes off to comply.

"Can you hear me?" Eirin asks softly, and I nod in response. "Don't try to talk just yet. Wait until you have some water."

I roll my eyes, as if to say _duh_, and hear a chuckle in response. Soon enough, Reisen comes back, and helps me to sit up so I can gulp the water down. Moving still hurts like crazy though, so I'm grateful to lie back down.

"Hhh... Ho-how long...?" I manage to ask.

"You've only been out for a day. You recover fast for a normal human."

"Yo-Youmu?..."

This time, it's Reisen who answers. "We told her to come back later. She should be here soon."

"Udonge, go get me the medicine from the drawer on the top shelf, third from the right." Eirin orders, and once again, Reisen leaves to comply. "Honestly, I'm impressed by what you've done." She comments quietly as she sits back on her heels.

_What is she talking about?_ I flick my eyes towards her in a silent question.

"Normal humans in Gensokyo possess some degree of power, though nothing compared to the Hakurei shrine maiden, but outsiders don't. So usually those people who come in from outside make easy prey for any youkai. But you managed to put up quite the fight, I hear. To be honest, I was so interested that I went out myself to take a look."

"Th...the youkai'ssss... body?" _Don't tell me she did some autopsy on it._

"That's right. You managed to break an elbow, dislocate a shoulder, cause a mild concussion and tear the ankle ligaments. Amazing feats to perform using physical strength alone."

_Holy shit, she DID!_ "Then... me?"

"Ah, your wounds? That..." Eirin breaks off and turns around. "Thank you, Udonge. Surprisingly, you have no broken bones, but you caught a nasty infection to go with your cuts, bruises and muscle pulls. That youkai's teeth and claws weren't the cleanest things to be injured by, and you suffered a great number of injuries."

"An..." I cough. "Anti... coag-" I give up on trying to force the words out past the pain.

"Now that's a surprise." Eirin's comment sounded self-directed and pleased for some reason. "You're right. You were bleeding quite badly as there was some secretion from the claws and teeth preventing the blood from coagulating."

"...dammit." _Should have done more to avoid the counterattacks._

"Alright. You should take this medicine to fight the infection and get some rest. I'll send Youmu in to see you when she arrives. Udonge, help me again."

_Oh yay, more pain. _I think to myself, but stay silent as they help me drink down the sour-tasting liquid and some more water. _But anyway... go me. I lived._ With that thought to comfort me, I let myself drift off into a light sleep.

* * *

><p>"Ikuto-san? Can you hear me? Ikuto-san?"<p>

I blink the sleep away from my eyes to see Youmu leaning over me. "H-hey... Youmu..."

"Really, Ikuto-san! How could you be so reckless!" All of a sudden, she starts scolding me. "Why did you go out of the village?" Her ghost half is quivering ominously behind her, as if to say _How dare you make Youmu angry_.

"I'm sorry..." There's nothing else I could say to that. "Sorry for... making you worry..."

"Do you know how worried I was!" She half-screamed, making me wince.

"Sorry..." I repeat, feeling like crap in more ways than one.

For a moment, I think she's scolding me in the role of a guardian who's charge has been disobedient, but when I realize she's nearly crying, I feel even worse than before. Youmu cares for me even deeper than that, and it's like I deliberately went out of my way to hurt her by pulling that stunt.

"Just... just don't do that again." She's fighting her emotions down, forcing herself to sound calm.

I nod. "Youmu... thanks for saving me back there."

This time, she smiles. Suddenly, Youmu perks up, as though she recalled something.

"Ikuto-san, before I came, you managed to defend yourself, using some weapon that I've never seen before."

_Huh? I was holding onto a weapon?_ "What weapon?" I ask suspiciously.

Youmu dug into her pocket, and held out Yukari's key. "I'm not sure, but it turned back into this moments after I slew that youkai."

_I see, so it turns into a weapon. Wonder what kind of weapon it is. _"Ah that. I got it from Yukari. It's meant to help me, she said."

"You never mentioned that." Her voice sounds a bit accusatory.

I sigh. "Because I don't know how to use it. Whatever I did, it was probably a fluke." _Huh, it's easier to speak now. Is that because of Eirin's medicines?_

"A weapon, is it?" Yukari's voice heralds the appearance of a gap above me. "I didn't expect that."

"Yukari." I put as much venom as I can into that one word on seeing her lean out from that split in the air.

"Why, Ikuto, whatever did I do to warrant such treatment from you?" Her words sound innocent, but yet mocking at the same time.

_Maybe I'm being biased._ "Tell me you didn't have anything to do with my meeting that youkai."

Youmu gasps, and looks between me and her mistress's friend.

"If I said I did, that would be a lie." She covers her mouth with a fan. "I was asleep then, Ikuto, so I couldn't have done anything."

I stare at her for a while, but she doesn't respond, so I give up first. "Fine... then how did I-"

"My dear Ikuto, were you perhaps not paying attention?" The twinkle at Yukari's eyes tell me she's smirking at me. "Fairies tend to play pranks on unsuspecting humans."

_...damn it. She's got me and she knows it. _I grimace. _Getting pranked by fairies... that's a huge blow to my pride._

"Fine." I glance at the key that Youmu's still holding on to. "So, what's this about the key? What do you mean, you didn't expect it?"

The gap descends lower, enough for Yukari to poke me in the nose with her closed fan. "You're a smart one, Ikuto. What do you think I did to the key? Tell me."

_Taking advantage of the fact that I can't move... _"I bet it's something like tweaking the boundaries of its existence."

"Bingo~" The fan pulls away. "But you see, Ikuto, how its new existence is defined, is up to the person who's holding on to it. Which is to say, you."

"If that's the case, then why didn't it work for me before?" I recall all the times I tried to get it to function. "I'm sure you know how much I tried."

"Probably because you weren't serious enough. There are limits to how much I could do. But it should be easier to activate now that you've defined its new boundaries."

_So it takes Dying Will-level willpower to unlock. Figures._ "So, now what?"

"That's up to you, Ikuto." Yukari looks at Youmu, who's been silent all this while. "Youmu, you can't protect him forever."

The girl looked haunted. "I know."

At that moment, the door slides open. "I _knew_ I heard someone else in here. Welcome, Yukari. Are you here to take him back to Hakugyokurou?" I hear Eirin ask. "Because he's not yet fit to be moved through one of your gaps."

"How long, Eirin-sama?" Youmu asks.

"At his current rate, with my medicines, he'll be perfectly fine by tomorrow morning."

"That's fast." I comment.

"My medicines _are_ the best in Gensokyo, if I may add. But if you keep talking on and on like this, it's going to take even longer."

"Well, that settles it then, Ikuto. I'll be back for you in the morning." Yukari yawns. "Come, Youmu."

"Wha-" Before either of us can react, Youmu suddenly gets swallowed up by a second gap.

"Toodles~" Yukari throws out before slipping away.

Eirin steps into the room and looks down at me. "Sleep. Think about it in the morning." She tells me before leaving.

Moments after I close my eyes, something hits me hard in the forehead and bounces off to land onto the pillow. Cracking open one eye against the pain, I realize that Yukari just opened a gap to pass the key back to me.

* * *

><p>"No scarring. How do you feel?" Eirin asks me after she and Reisen have taken off the bandages.<p>

I flex each of my limbs systematically, then twist left and right, touching the areas that I had been wounded in to find perfectly healed skin. "A bit stiff, but other than that, no pain. The medicine you used is amazing!"

"Thank you for the compliment." She sounds unimpressed, probably because she's heard the same thing many times before.

"So... how much do I owe you?" I twist to look at her. "Something this great would be extremely expensive in the Outside World."

Eirin gives me a number. _Let's see... the groceries cost about... the price she named is about eight times that. At home, my dad spent about fifty bucks for the same amount of stuff. I'd consider four hundred cheap if it would heal all those serious wounds in two days._

"You don't have to pay me right away. Though I believe the gardener girl won't hesitate to pay for you."Eirin smirks knowingly at me. "But I'm sure you'd prefer to settle the bill yourself, don't you?"

"Well..." I run my hand through my hair. "Yeah. But if it was paid already, I'd probably just accept it as things are."

"Anyway, I'm sure there's still time before Yukari comes to pick you up, so feel free to look around the place. Just don't go out into the forest." Eirin looks at me thoughtfully. "If you'd like, how about coming to see my pharmacy?"

"Master!" Reisen reacts with surprise.

"Udonge, hush." Eirin scolds without turning. "You have some knowledge of medicines, do you not?"

"Uhh... I was only a- how do I put this... somewhere around the level of an apprentice in his first year. I seriously doubt I'll be able to understand much."

"If that's your decision then." Her tone sounded resigned, but it seemed like there was something else mixed in there.

"I'll just take a walk first then." I struggle to get up.

"Don't forget to wear a shirt." Eirin says pointedly before leaving.

"Ack! Shirt... shirt..." I look around.

"Here."

"Thanks! Uh..." _Oh... red eyes... pretty cute. Wait... Reisen's eyes... body feeling a little odd..._ "Oh yeah, Reisen!"

The bunny girl quickly looks aside. "Are you okay! My eyes have an effect on those who look directly at them!"

"Huh..." I look at my hand and flex my fingers. "Not as bad as I expected, actually."

She glances at me in surprise. "You're fine?"

"A bit dizzy, felt like I was on a rocking boat for a moment." _Let's do a mental check... Hmm... yep, not crazy. At least, not more than I already am._ "Excuse me for a moment."

Reisen yelps when I grab her head and turn her to face me directly, exposing me to the full effect of her Lunatic Eyes. It takes about five seconds before she finally reacts by shutting her eyes and pushing me away. As I let myself fall back on the floor, I mentally run self-diagnostic thoughts, imagining scenarios to react to, while waiting for the giddy feeling to subside.

"What were you doing! Are you alright!" Reisen gasps as she starts shaking me. "Say something!"

"Sorry. Just wanted to check something out." I sit up and shake my head. "Looking at your eyes make me feel the way I do after a heavy routine of exercise. As if my sense of self-restraint was being suspended since energy's being conserved for other purposes."

"My eyes aren't toys to be played with! I can't believe you!"

I grin at her, deliberately un-focusing my vision more than I normally do to compensate. "Really, I'm sorry. But I was a bit curious about how it would feel, you know?" Reaching past her, I grab the shirt and pull it on. "Anyway, no harm done, right?"

"That was a reckless thing to do, Ikuto-san." She scolds again.

"Nnngh..." I stand up and stretch. "Honestly, I do think that everyone's entitled to a bit of recklessness. I'll be talking my walk now. See ya!"

"Not when they nearly died!" Reisen calls after me as I leave.

As I walk down the corridor, I try speaking a few sentences to confirm my recovery. It takes about eight tries before I'm back to talking in my usual restrained style instead of speaking my thoughts at hyper speed. Chuckling, I stick my hands in my pockets as I walk, enjoying the simple pleasure of moving how I want. However, two realizations suddenly obstructed me from doing so.

_These aren't my pants... Oh shit... at least one of them must have seen my... _I force my mind away from that subject. _And I forgot I put the key in my pocket. Guess I should try it out? _I look around at the many doors along the corridor. _Too narrow to risk anything here. Maybe one of these is an empty room..._

I hook my fingers into the handle of the closest door and pull it open slightly, enough for me to peek through with one eye. At first glance, the room looked like a storeroom, but as I scan around a bit, I realize that a storeroom wouldn't have a writing desk with a brush that looked like it was just used. A slight sniff confirmed the lack of the dusty smell that most storerooms had, and the presence of an entirely different scent.

_Perfume? Don't tell me, this is Kaguya's room. Guess I better go before she finds me. _I slide the door close carefully. _Okay, let's see what's at the end of... this..._ My head turns reflexively when I hear the sound of the door opening.

"Uh... uhhh..." I'm at a loss for words, seeing Kaguya up close.

_That almost seemed like it could be in some comedy. You closed the right half, and the left half opened as you were walking past it. _My logical self, back in full force after the effect of Reisen's eyes worn off, made an apt, yet somewhat unrelated observation.

"And you are?" Kaguya looks at me curiously.

"Uhhh... I'm... Ikuto." I manage to get out. _Now might be a good time to have Reisen around for eye contact._ "That... um, guy that... uh, Yukari dropped here?"

_I must sound like a total idiot right now. But then again, she's really impressive up close. Princess cut knee-length straight black hair, perfectly shaped face, and long flowing clothes to accent the elegance of the first two. Pink on the top, dark red-brown skirt with plant patterns. This is one of those cases where you know what a person is by the first look, I guess. If Helen of Troy's the face that launched a thousand ships, Kaguya's would be the _presence_ that draws ten times that._

"Ah, you're the one that came in two nights ago. How are your wounds?"

"Uh... they're healed now. Thanks for your concern." _Weird, somehow it felt like I was hearing some archaic speech there._ "Sorry for peeking into your room just now."

"So it was you." She covers her mouth with one sleeve in a soft laugh. "I'm sure you were curious. Do not worry; you're forgiven."

_There! I definitely _felt_ that! It seems like Yukari's language aid has allowances for olden styles._ "Thank you, Princess." _Can't forget to use her title._

"Would you let me hear your tale?" She pushes the door open even further and beckons.

I nod. "I humbly accept your invitation."

"Then, by all means, please enter." Kaguya dips slightly, and steps aside.

She's a good conversationalist, listening and asking questions so well that I actually enjoy talking to her; something that almost never happened to me before I came here. Clearly, I suck at making friends in my own world. But in any case, Kaguya's quite interested to hear about what I have been doing.

"You've had so much excitement within such a short span of time." She comments, rearranging her sleeves neatly with a simple flick of her wrists that must have taken lots of practice. "It reminds me of those fairy tales of heroes and the courageous lives they led."

"Really, Princess, I'm hardly a hero. I'm just an ordinary guy." _Getting praise from someone like her is making me blush really bad. _"Or just one thrust into a fantasy world." I amended after some thought.

She shakes her head slightly. "Do not lower yourself so. It is best to accept praise when it is given to you."

"Even if I don't feel deserving of it? Ah, no, that wasn't a question." I stop her just as she's about to reply. "I have a habit of questioning things that happen to me." _Yeah, but you have a habit of accepting things that happen around you._

_Shut up, you._ "But still, Princess, what you said reminded me of this saying. _Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them._" (2)

"Wise words," Kaguya says while she nods approvingly. "Who was the one who said them?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot remember, Princess."

"Well, if by any chance you do recall, please tell me." Kaguya covers her mouth as she clears her throat. "Now, may I see this wondrous key of yours?"

I had nearly forgotten about it; if she hadn't asked right then, I probably would have just come up with something else to continue talking with her. Pulling the key out of my pocket, I hold it out in my palm for her to see.

"Indeed, it looks completely ordinary. How could this have become a weapon?"

"I don't know how I did it, but I'll try." I close my fingers over the key and try to recall how it felt in my grip moments before I lost consciousness.

_It should be easier now, Yukari said._ Feeling the odd sensation of something expanding in my hand, I look down while fighting the reflex to let go. _...I should have guessed it was this weapon of all things. Figures._

"My, what an interesting turn of developments." Kaguya observed.

* * *

><p>"Here." Reisen hands me a bowl of rice without looking at me.<p>

"Thanks. And sorry for intruding on your lunch."

"It is no problem. After all," Kaguya smiles, "One cannot leave without his means of transport, is that not true?"

I nod, sighing. "Very true."

_Bet that gap youkai overslept._ I think to myself as I start eating with the residents of Eientei. _Residents? Wait, there's someone missing._

"Udonge, where's Tewi?" Eirin asks, apparently noticing the same thing I did.

"Right here -usa." A muffled voice says from above, followed by the creaking of wood.

A small girl in a pink dress with short, messy hair with bunny ears growing from the top of her head drops down from the ceiling. Without missing a beat, she settles down next to Reisen and picks up her chopsticks.

"Yo, human." Tewi picks up some boiled carrot and starts munching on it. "Heard ya did some, nom nom, nice exterminatin' -usa."

_Can't really call it that. I got my butt handed to me as well. _"From who?"

"Some of da rabbits out there -usa. That one you beat, he's been givin' them trouble -usa."

"Huh, really. You're welcome, I guess?"

"Ya'll be livin' here sometime, right -usa? Tewi gives me a once-over. "Ya don't look the bad sort, so I approve -usa!"

"Uh, thanks?" I duck my head a little in response.

"What were you... never mind, I don't want to know." Reisen starts to ask, but changes her mind halfway. "Here, Master."

"So, Ikuto, did you enjoy your tour of Eientei?" Eirin asks me as she takes her bowl from Reisen.

"Actually," I glance at Kaguya, who's eating with impeccable manners. "I was busy talking to Princess Kaguya the whole time."

"Oh ho?" She lifts one eyebrow. "And what do you think of our princess here?"

I stop myself from shrugging in front of Kaguya. "She's easy to talk to."

"Is that all? No..." Eirin asks pleasantly, "...urge to propose or anything like that?"

"Are you making fun of me?" I ask frankly.

"No, no. Not at all." She replies lightly. "Just... you're such an _energetic_ lad, and having just recovered, must be feeling extremely _lively_..."

_YOU DEFINITELY ARE MAKING FUN OF ME!_ "I didn't realize you were so good at reading your patient's energy levels. Guess you must have quite a lot of _experience_ with young lads, Eirin-san..."

Her right eye just twitched for a moment there. "I am a doctor, after all. I have had patients who had _hormone_ problems."

_Damn, that's a fast comeback. I'm not good enough to compete, but I'll do my best._ "I see..." I draw out my words to buy time to think. "I'm sure those patients need _personal_ treatment which you must be only too _happy_ to provide." I reply, before swallowing another clump of rice.

Eirin's chopsticks click together, sounding somewhat derisive. "Not really. Some of them tend to _exaggerate_ their illnesses so they can have a _look_ around." She replies, her eyes flicking towards Kaguya for an instant.

_Damn, not good enough for her, huh. Then how's this?_ "But it must be quite _refreshing_ to treat such patients when you often get so _little_ of them in Eientei, isn't it?" I suggest after sipping from the bowl of miso soup.

"Uwa, I think I'm done here -usa." Tewi mutters, setting her utensils down. "See ya later, human."

Neither me nor Eirin respond as she jumps back through the hole she came down from, but judging from the sound and direction of the movement, Tewi's only retreating to a safe distance to observe. From the corner of my eye, I can see that Reisen is looking between me and Eirin nervously, unsure whether to follow Tewi's example or not.

"Not at all. In fact, they are so _amateurish_ in their method of acting. Why," Eirin nods sagely, "The most common ailment they come to me with is a _wrist sprain_."

_...Ouch. Poke at my sore spot, will you? _"...Is that so? Quite _youthful_ of them, I guess. Of course, I'm sure that in your obvious role as their _elder_, you're actually eager to _indulge_ their whimsical ways."

Our chopsticks lock over the last piece of egg. Eirin smiles courteously at me, and with a quick twist of her wrist, she sends my chopsticks flying straight up to embed into the ceiling. As I stare at the two quivering lengths of wood, she takes the last piece and pops it into her mouth.

"It was nice talking to you, but if I keep my patients waiting any longer, they're liable to _sleep_ where they _stand_. _Gochisousama deshita._ (3)" Eirin places her bowl and chopsticks down on the table, gets up and walks out of the room.

_I'd do a facepalm, but I don't think a palm is enough. A wall, perhaps._ _Seriously, there's no way to win against someone who's got a trump card like that._ I finish my food, thank Reisen, and exit in the opposite direction of Eirin with the tatters of my dignity trailing behind me.

Behind me I hear Kaguya. "Truly a fascinating conversation."

"Ye...yes it was..." Reisen replies unsteadily before continuing in a whisper I barely hear. "I think..."

* * *

><p>(1) Death god. Seriously, if you're familiar with Touhou, you should know this by now.<p>

(2) Spoken by Malvolio from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The irony of it is, that he was being pranked by some of the other characters. Plus, it's not even his line; he was reading it from the letter that one of the pranksters wrote in order to screw him over.

(3) Said after meals in Japan. It like saying 'Thank you for the food' after eating it.

How was that last part? I just finished one of my exams that morning, and I wrote this entire chapter in the evening when I couldn't focus. The last part came to me quite easily, though like Ikuto, I don't feel like I did that well. Imagine trading snides with Eirin... Brrr, might as well ask for a heavy dose of suppositories, I guess.

Some of you can probably guess what the weapon will be. To be honest, I haven't touched that series for a long, long time, but it just came to me when I started planning this. Obviously, I don't own it. I only own my OC, etc. Honestly though, I might feel a bit uncomfortable about making use of it, but no matter what anyone says, I'm going through with this story.


	7. Chapter 6: Dine, Duel and Depart?

"So, mind telling me why you came three hours after lunch?" I ask the yawning Yukari.

For once, she's not wearing her usual hat or clothes. Her hair is bedraggled and from what I can see of her purple nightdress, it's in a similar state. Even her eyes aren't focused. Not exactly the sort of person you want sending you around; who knows where you might just end up.

"Overslept. Got caught up with the Fullbring arc." She mumbles. "Ready?"

_Did she just reveal she reads _that_ Shonen Jump manga?_ "Just make sure you know where you're se- WOOOOAH!" Like the time I first came to Gensokyo, the ground vanishes beneath my feet.

And I fall, through a space filled with darkness, before being thrust back into brightness. One that was filled with steam, and water. I land with a huge splash, and get some water up my nose.

"Damb 'uu, 'ukari!" I rub the water out of my eyes angrily and snort the water out.

"Ikuto-san! You're finally back!"

Just as I register Youmu's voice, something hard hits me in the chest, sending the air out of my lungs. While I try to suck some back in to fill the sudden void, I peer downwards. It's Youmu, there's no mistaking that hairstyle and color. Then where is this...

_I'm so being screwed with here._ I think to myself as I pat Youmu awkwardly on the back. "Yeah... Yukari overslept. By the way, why are you taking a bath at this time?"

"Actually," Youmu sniffs, "I wanted to go and look for you when you didn't come back in the morning. But Yuyuko-sama told me that I had to beat her first, and I lost."

_Yeah, I can totally see Yuyuko doing that kind of stuff._ "Well, I'm back now. Though I'm wet, and..." I look away.

"Huh? ...Uh, wha-, uh-uh-uh-uh..." Youmu realizes the reason for my action and quickly distances herself, turning away in embarrassment.

I lift myself up and out of the water, getting out of the bath. "I guess I'll go get changed. By the way," I say as I pet her head, "You looked really, really cute just then."

She submerges herself up to the neck, and I can see the tip of her ear is red. Chuckling inwardly, I exit the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with Yuyuko herself. Contrary to her usual self, the mistress of the mansion seems uncharacteristically serious.

"Ikuto, were you peeping on Youmu?"

I shake my head frantically. "No! Yukari just dropped me in there!"

She opens her fan with a flick and covers the lower part of her face. "Is that so." Her eyes are unreadable as she stares at me over the top of the black fan.

"Anyway, am I free to get changed?" _Crap, I automatically reacted to that hint of accusation._

All of a sudden, the tension deflates. "Ahh~ it was so~ so~ cold~" Yuyuko sing-songs, swaying left and right. "Being warm is the best after all~"

I jerk in shock as she suddenly glomps onto me. SHE'S FREEZING! The sudden transition in temperature is really harsh! Even those sensations that feel like jelly aren't enough to make up for it!

"Yu-Yu-Yuyuko!" I manage to get out past my chattering teeth. "Really! I-I-I need to ch-change!"

"Don't wanna~" She coos.

_Fine!_ I grit my teeth and stomp off towards my room, pausing only to grab a towel from the stack in the changing room, with Yuyuko hanging on to me every step of the way. _Seriously, what's gotten into her! She's whimsical, but not like this!_

"Okay! We've reached my room! Now let go, will you!"

"Uh uh~ You have to say please~" Yuyuko wags a finger in front of my face.

I sigh. "Wi-wi-will you please let go?" I sound like I'm begging here...

"Sure~" With that, she releases me and floats off.

Inside my room, I find a stack of clothes; cold weather ones from the village. Quickly drying off, I pick up one set and dress myself, humming a little as my body heat builds up within it. The wet clothes, I set aside to add to the laundry pile later.

Now that I'm alone for a moment, it's finally time to examine the weapon form of the key in more detail. Retrieving it from the pocket of the soaked pants, I grip the thin metal and focus. Sure enough, the weapon forms instantly. Apart from when I revealed it in front of Kaguya, I didn't bring it out again, since I was more focused on exploring Eientei after lunch, or maybe because I didn't want to admit it.

_Really. A giant cylindrical shaft, a hilt guard that extends downward to the end of the handle in the shape of a square, and a blocky head at the end of the shaft._ _Plus,_ I look at the base of the weapon, _a keychain. Hm, this looks like one of those moving animation slides, except there's no grooves in it. Black... _I tilt the square slightly, _and white. Just two colors._

"Funny. It's been more than three years since I had anything to do with that series, and I get a Keyblade. A. Freaking. Keyblade." I complain to no one as I dismiss it, letting it revert to its small form.

Putting the weapon out of my mind, I head for the kitchen, passing by a snoozing Yuyuko. Fuming, I start pulling out ingredients from the pantry. Part of me wonders if it's a good idea to cook while being pissed off, but the rest of me shuts that part up.

_Chicken, scallions, ginger. Flour, gelatin powder, ham. Soy sauce, salt and sugar. _I mentally recite the names of the ingredients as I set them on the table. _Next, utensils, knife, wok, bamboo steamer..._

Time passes, and I alternate between tasks, doing things like making broth gelatin while a stuffed chicken is being poached on the stove, basically working on one while the other is being cooked. As I throw myself into each step, the irritation in me slowly fades, until my movements lose their ferocity, and I'm working with steady, practiced motions.

_Stock, added to rice, left to cook. Chicken, submerged in ice water. Dumplings, steaming. _I take a short break and stretch. _What's with me, anyway? Getting so mad just because my weapon happened to be a knockoff from a game I played long ago? That's not like me._

"Ikuto-san?" Youmu calls me, drawing my attention. "What are you making?"

"Huh? Uhh..." I look at the mess I made of the kitchen and the three separate dishes still in the preparation stage. "Some native cuisine from my country, I guess?"

"Mm~ smells good~" Yuyuko's peeping over Youmu's shoulder.

"Alright. Out. You'll get to taste them later." I say firmly and nudge Youmu out of the kitchen, closing the door after them.

_Bleh, I think it's because I hated Yuyuko's reaction to me earlier. Still a little pissed at her. _Frowning, I pull the chicken out of the pail and drain out the water, throwing out the ginger and scallions I stuffed it with before setting it on the chopping board. _I REALLY don't know how to react to her, that's for sure- Damn it._

Grunting, I pry the heavy knife from the board, having cut too deep by putting too much strength into my swing. _Breathe in... breathe out... don't let it bother you... now finish that chopping._ Focused once more, I lift the blade up, and bring it down.

* * *

><p>Watching the reactions of those eating the food I cooked makes me feel a bit proud of myself, despite the fact that three of them just intruded without telling us beforehand. Well, the more the merrier, they say.<p>

"Cold meat... but it's good."

"Sure is, ze!"

"Ikuto-san, you've really improved!"

"Ahh~ this rice has so much flavor~"

"Ayaya! Hot! Hot!"

"Here, Aya." I pass her a cup of water. "Forgot to warn you that the juices in the dumplings are still quite hot."

"Thanks." The tengu blows on the next one, but I stop her.

"The way I learned to eat it is to first make a small bite so you can drink the juice. That way, you don't burn your mouth." I demonstrate for the rest. "Next, you put some slices of ginger, and eat the whole thing. Sauce is optional."

"Mmm~" Reimu hums as she chews. "You're amazing at this!"

I shake my head. "It's still quite far from the restaurants I ate at before. Besides, it's my first time making these."

"Ah, don't sell yourself short ze! These are awesome!" Marisa gleefully finishes her bowl of rice and holds out the empty bowl. "Another please!"

"Yeah yeah." I refill it for her and hand it back to her with a reminder. "Leave some for the others."

"Anyway, are you okay? I heard that you got into a nasty fight." Reimu asks, making Marisa and Aya stop eating and look at me.

"I did. But Eirin fixed me up." Seeing Aya pull out her notebook, my heart sinks. _Crap... THAT counts as an incident?_ "After dinner, please."

"Ehh~ but why wait?" Aya grins, popping the cap off her pen.

"Marisa, Reimu-san, if you don't help me stop her, I won't cook this for you girls ever again."

"Ooh, can't beat that. Sorry, Aya." Marisa's fingers twitch, as if preparing to throw out a spell.

Reimu nods in agreement. "Wait, or talismans. Your choice, Aya."

"Or butterflies~" Even Yuyuko backs me up. _Well, not surprising._

The tengu reporter gives me a dirty look, but recaps her pen and tucks the notebook away with a huff. "That was playing dirty, Ikuto-kun."

"I'm a believer in the doctrine of appropriate response." I reply loftily. "Plus, patience is a virtue. Don't you ever stake a place out for your articles?"

She smiles wryly. "Good point. After dinner, then."

Still, as revenge for what I did, Aya snatches a dumpling I was aiming for. Afterwards, Youmu brings sake on Yuyuko's orders, and the girls proceed to get drunk. Not being much of a drinker, I only take a few sips before faking subsequent gulps and passing the bottle to the next person. I've never been drunk before, and I have no intention of getting myself drunk. Eventually though, the guests finally decide to leave.

"Well, time to clean up." I say to myself as I look at Marisa and Reimu's swaying forms as they fly off. Turning around, I see a smiling Aya, with her tools of journalism ready. "Or not."

We sit on the walkway and she immediately shoots her first question. "So, what happened?"

"I wandered outside the village, and got attacked by a beast youkai."

"Then?" Aya pressed.

"I fought him. Using my fists and legs."

She gives me a disbelieving look. "Most youkai are stronger than normal humans."

"That's why I didn't compete directly in strength. If you want more details on what I did, ask Eirin."

"Why can't you tell me about it?"

"Because I passed out from blood loss." I lie. _For someone who normally sucks at lying, I'm pretty good at giving false excuses._ "All I know in the end is that Youmu saved me and brought me to Eientei."

"Of course, so that's why you mentioned Eirin." She stops writing to peer at me. "You don't look injured at all."

"Yeah," I nod, "Eirin's medicines are amazing. I had like cuts on every limb and my body, plus a chunk ripped out from my back. But in two days, I'm back to full health, no scars!"

To prove it, I stand up and jump around a bit. Yukari's key falls out of my pocket, and Aya snatches it up before I can. _Shit, karma comes back to bite me in the ass for trying too hard._

"And what's this, Ikuto-kun?"

Sighing, I reach out for the key. "Here, let me show you."

The moment she sees the Keyblade, Aya gasps and starts snapping pictures of it. Once she's gotten enough to satisfy her, she returns to bombarding me with questions. I tell her the truth this time, though I phrase my words so that she'll be more likely to ask Yukari for more details. Aya's a nice girl and all, but I confess that when she goes into her berserk reporter mode against me, I feel the same way as the others do about her.

"Have you tried using this?" Aya finally asks.

"Not yet." I heft the weapon, which is just as heavy as its original form despite how solid it felt. "Let's see..."

Walking over to a nearby plant, I pick up a twig from around its roots. Originally, I wanted to aim for a leaf that stuck out, but Youmu's gardening skills left no such target. As Aya watches, I toss the twig up and launch a horizontal swing as it falls. Instead of flying away, it falls to the ground at my feet.

"Damn, I missed." _I always sucked in my hand-eye coordination; could never play badminton or tennis._ "Let's try-"

"You hit it." Aya interrupts. "The thing just went straight through."

"Really?" I touch the metal. "This feels really hard, you know."

"Don't underestimate a tengu's eyes. You hit it for sure."

_But it's so easy to underestimate a tengu's objectivity._ Keeping that thought to myself, I try again and get the same result. "Hmm... let's try something else."

"What-"

I swing at the wood of the walkway, and the Keyblade's length slips through it as though it was air.

Aya studies the place I swung at. "No marks on the wood."

_One last test._ I hold out my left arm, and slash down on it. "Nngh!"

"Woah, black and white sparks!"

_And my arm feels... tingly. If I had to describe it, it's like the energy got knocked out of me._ I close my eyes to focus on my own body. _Yep, I feel more tired than I was before I hit myself._

"You won't be able to block with that." Aya comments. "A weapon that goes through anything would be good for offense, but it's no good to defend with."

Suspecting otherwise, I call out to Youmu. "Youmu, sorry to ask this, but could you try and cut this with your sword?"

She looks at me questioningly, but complies. The katana comes to a stop against the Keyblade, surprising all of us, even me who was expecting it a little. We experiment a few more times; I can cut through her weapon if she's not actively blocking, she can't cut through mine even if I'm not, and a simultaneous clash produces a noise loud enough to wake Yuyuko up. Overall, it was like everything followed the rules of physics in the Kingdom Heart games.

_Wait, I thought it was possible to hit the walls? _I rack my head trying to recall. _Can't remember if it could or not. It's been way too long._

"Ayayaya~ this is definitely a scoop!" Aya declares happily. "Mysterious new weapon in Gensokyo!"

"I don't think this is all there is to it, though." I point out.

Youmu looks over at me. "Perhaps you should use it when you train from now on."

It is a good idea, but training with something so light doesn't feel right with me. Aya, having gotten the information she wanted, bids us farewell and flies off into the night, leaving us to clean up the mess from the dinner party.

As I dry the dishes while Youmu washes them, we start talking among ourselves. During the time I was in Eientei, she had been so worried it affected her training. In fact, she even messed up during her chores and got a scolding from Yuyuko. Of course, I had a feeling I knew the reason why Youmu was reacting like that, but as it was my first time experiencing that sort of thing, I had no idea how to react. All I could do was...

"Don't worry, everyone has their off days." I reassure her, putting one arm around her shoulders and hugging her lightly. "Just... uhh... hang in there."

_Smooth, you coward. _I ignore the jeering of the playboy facet of my personality and release Youmu. _Just kiss her already! Heck, take her to your room and push her down!_

"Thanks, Ikuto-san." Youmu sniffs.

"Actually... Ikuto's fine." (1)

"Thanks, Ikuto."

I pat Youmu's shoulder and release her. "C'mon, let's get these dishes done."

* * *

><p>"Wake up." Something prodded my nose. "Ikuto. Wake up."<p>

I open my eyes blearily. Last night, drinking that sake somehow made me feel hyper, so I didn't manage to sleep until quite late. As for the person who was waking me up, it was the same youkai who prodded my nose before. I mean, who else would do that?

"Good morning, Yukari." Even to me, my words sound lazy. "'Sup?"

"There's something I want you for. Get dressed and come to the garden. Now." With that, Yukari slides back into her gap and leaves me alone in my room.

_Huh. That's odd, she's never been this direct with me before. Guess I better go see what she wants. _I roll out of my futon (2) and throw my clothes on, deciding to come back and fold it up later. _Better bring the key along. Something tells me I'm going to need it. And somehow... things don't look good._

Yukari's waiting for me underneath her parasol, gently spinning it as a morning breeze sends leaves flying off the trees. Also waiting for me are Yuyuko and Youmu, as well as... Aya? The last member of the waiting party is a puzzling sight. What's she doing here?

"Finally." Yukari gives me a serious look. "You're here."

"What do you want?" My whole attention focuses on her; the situation does not warrant sarcasm or hostility, I can tell.

"Tell me, Ikuto. Do you want to stay in Gensokyo?"

"Yeah." I reply without hesitation.

"Then that settles it." Yukari looks over at Yuyuko. "Sorry to ask this of you, my friend."

Yuyuko doesn't look at her, but at me instead. "Youmu." She speaks softly.

"Yuyuko-sama, please..." Youmu sounded anguished. What's going on here?

"Yukari, what are you doing?" I pull the key from my pocket and conceal it in my hand. "No... why are you doing this?"

Those inhuman golden eyes meet mine, making me recall that experience of being aware of the difference in species between us. Even Aya's looking at me somberly; things were rapidly going from bad to worse.

"Consider this a test of your right to stay." Yukari doesn't take her eyes off me. "Youmu. It's up to you whether he gets the chance."

"...understood, Yukari-sama." Youmu rubs her eyes on her sleeve and grips the sheath of her sword. "Ikuto..."

_Right now, I kind of hate Yukari. But at the same time, I don't; she's a youkai, after all. The oldest youkai here._ Sighing, I face Youmu. "I know, Youmu..."

"No danmaku. Just your weapons. And no holding back." Yukari spoke lightly, as if she was talking about the weather instead of a fight. "On my signal."

The Keyblade forms in my hand, and I lift it up, placing its butt against the left side of my chest in a salute. Youmu blinks, before bowing slightly in reply, and drawing Hakurouken and settling into her usual stance with the blade aimed behind her. I take my own, and we both wait for Yukari.

"Start."

_She's going to dash, then jump._ Sure enough, Youmu does exactly as I predict, swinging downwards for me. _Deflect, don't take it directly._

I angle my weapon in the traditional block I'm familiar with, the _payong _(3), stepping forward and to the side, using my left to push her hands to the side, sliding it off my weapon. The moment I'm clear of it, I twist my wrist to bring the Keyblade around for a diagonal cut. At least I can go all out with it.

But even so, Youmu avoids it easily by stepping back. Now she comes in low, cutting for my legs. _That's it, Youmu. Don't go easy on me. _I block it, using both hands to reduce the shock of the vibrations. _This is like a graduating fight. Heh, just like that Animal Ring, had to spar against everyone in the class for a few minutes each._

She's extremely fast on her feet, attacking and breaking away so easily I can't even land a hit on her. And in this wide garden, there's no way I can corner her. In fact, it feels like I'm the one getting cornered instead.

"Hmph!" Youmu cuts to the left, and slashes for my shoulder.

I dodge, feeling the wind from the blade's trail against my face, and launch my own attack. "Hnn!"

Without missing a beat, she angles her sword to block it, and follows up with a counter of her own. For a few seconds, we trade blows in close range, our arms reflexively moving to defend and attack, with our bodies twisting and turning to gain any advantage. Then I feel a thin burst of pain cross my right cheek.

_Ignore it. She's not like that youkai. You give her an opening, she'll take it._ I lower my center of gravity and follow her movements with my eyes, not actually focusing on her. _There, from the right this time!_

I skip back, and thrust my weapon forward in a stab. Youmu twists, but the sight of black and white sparks tell me I managed to touch her a little. Panting, I swing the weapon around in a spin, but she blocks it despite being off-balance. How long has it been? My nerves aren't as focused as they were when I was fighting for my life, but with Youmu's skills, the difference in difficulty is comparable to switching from Normal to Lunatic.

_She's crouching low!_ My legs are halfway bent before I realize that there's no way I can avoid her even if I jump aside. _There's no other way then._

Everything slows down; I can see Youmu's feet pushing off the ground, and compared to her, the leaves that are falling between us are like feathers that hang in the air on a weak puff of wind. And me, I'm even slower than that. It feels like I'm fighting sleep paralysis- no, more like when I was trying to punch that youkai despite the blood loss. She's coming for me, and I've barely even straightened my knees. Still, the memory triggers something in me.

_Dying Will, huh?_ I chuckle inside, before steeling myself. _So be it. Win, even if I have to die!_

The tip of Hakurouken is coming for me in an upwards arc, and I see a stray leaf split into two _after_ the blade passes through it. But though the speed of my dash is slower, the speed of my own backswing is equal to hers! Got to... time it... just... right...

The shock of our clash is louder than last night's, and I hear Aya exclaiming in surprise behind me. Youmu's hands are shaking as she tries to pit her strength against me, while mine are trembling from the force of the impact. But I'm smiling at her serious expression, and she realizes too late what I've planned.

_Gotcha._ Twisting my arms and wrists, I slide my weapon upward along hers, snaking the head of the Keyblade around the guard of her katana to rest on her trembling hands. With a quick jerk, I tear Hakurouken from her grip and send it flying upwards to the left. _You won't go for it. Not when I'm this close and I still have my weapon._

Her reaction is even faster than her dash. Her white hair flying, Youmu twists around, pulling Roukanken's scabbard up with one hand while she draws it partway with the other, barely managing to stop my follow up attack. But the force behind my attack isn't enough for her to take without a proper stance, so it sends her backpedaling.

_My Keyblade is shorter than Roukanken. Have to stay close. Press the advantage._ She manages to clear her backup weapon from its scabbard, and strikes at me. _Youmu... you're good at this. You're better at a sword than I could ever hope to be. But..._ I block and counter with a light swing. _You need to distance your character from your sword a bit more._

She brushes my attack aside, spinning around to cut horizontally at my exposed right side using only her right hand. Without much strength in my previous swing, it's easy enough to redirect its momentum into a downward swing that intercepts the incoming attack. At the same time our weapons meet, my left comes up to grab the back of her hand.

"Wha-" Youmu gasps as I pull it upwards while twisting. "Hngh!"

She reacts better than I expected, going for Hakurouken's scabbard with her left hand. _Too late though_, I added silently, _this fight is mine. _With my weapon pushing against hers, I twist it until it barely passes the perpendicular point, with the tip barely missing the ground. _I must be crazy using this disarm against an actual blade._

Stepping in with my left, I swing my hand, and hers, to the right, bringing the flat of her blade against my thigh. The crossing impact sends her weapon flipping straight up from her hand once, and I cut upwards with the Keyblade, aiming for her neck.

_But yeah, I can't do that._ I close my eyes, knowing what will come next. "Oof-!"

Wheezing, I let go of my weapon and fall to my knees, clutching my chest where Youmu rammed the scabbard into it. Still breathing hard, I feel cold steel press against my temple, and look up slowly. The winner of our duel is gazing down at me, her expression unreadable.

"Yeah... I lost..." I gasp out.

Yukari walks up and pushes the sword aside with her parasol. "Yes, you did."

"So... now what?" I straighten up, breathing hard. "Are you going to send me back now?"

She touches her fan to her lips, as if thinking about it. But I'm definitely sure she's made up her mind already; she just wants to torment me a bit further. Behind her, Youmu sheathes her weapon and looks down forlornly. Then Yukari reaches out with her fan, and knocks me on the head smartly.

"Guess I won't." Yukari smiles, her words making Youmu look up in surprise.

Rubbing my stinging head, I look at her. "Tell me the truth," I ask softly, "What if I had won?"

Her eyes turn flinty for a moment, before returning to their original amused expression. Without a word, she turns and walks away, stopping for a moment to say something to Yuyuko before she exits through a gap.

"Ikuto..." Youmu calls me. "I'm so sorry..."

"This?" I touch the cut on my cheek. "It's fine. Injuries are part and parcel of sparring."

"No, I mean..."

"Just joking with you. Come here." I pull her into a hug. "You weren't at fault here. And you fought well."

"But..."

I stroke her hair. "Just hush." I spare a look at Yuyuko, who's smiling at us.

As for Aya... she's taking pictures. Well, I'll just leave her be for now. Even though I lost, I'm sure I did the right thing, and that's enough for me.

* * *

><p>"So, why were you here in the first place?" I flinch as Youmu cleans my cut. "And what sort of article are you going to write?"<p>

"Yukari just dropped me in, saying I would get something good out of it." Aya patted her camera. "As for what article... that's going to be part of your column, so I won't ask for an interview just yet."

"Thanks."

"We had an agreement, didn't we?" Aya holds out her fist.

"Yeah, we did." I lean over and touch my fist to hers. "You asked Yukari about the key, didn't you?"

"Actually, I didn't have the chance. She just picked me up and dropped me here with an expression that said she'd do something really bad to me if I even said a word." Aya's expression is enough for me to imagine.

_Huh, so Yukari wasn't putting me through that because she was pissed off that I set Aya on her?_ I think about it for a while. _So she really was testing me. Damn, I keep being wrong about her when it counts._

"By the way, I can tell that Youmu's faster than you for sure. What I don't get is, how did you win?"

Youmu nods curiously. "I would like to know that myself."

"Haha, I was planning on telling you soon." Shifting myself into a more comfortable position, I hold up my hand to count off the points I'm going to name. "First, Youmu, you're fast, but when you come in to attack from a distance, you always move in a straight line. Even when I change directions and you adapt to it, you don't curve. I think it's because you kick off the ground too hard. It's fast, but that limits the areas you can attack from."

"I had that sort of habit?" Youmu's shocked by what I just told her. "I never noticed..."

"I think with your speed, you can compensate for it quite a bit. Make it hard for me to keep facing you. Second, your eyes are always focused on your target, even before you actually start to swing. Good for being accurate, but in a swordfight, that tells me where I need to block- wait, Aya, why are you writing this down?"

"Ah? Ayaya~ don't mind me, it just sounded like it would make for a good article in the Bunbunmaru... ahahaha~" She laughs nervously.

"Ah, whatever. Third... uhh... what was it?"

"No danmaku?" Aya supplies.

"There's that too, but that's not what I was thinking of. Ah yes, Youmu, you rush in too much."

She frowns. "What you mean by that?"

"Remember how I disarmed Roukanken?" I lift up my right elbow exaggeratedly. "I purposely lifted my right arm up higher so you would go for my side. You fall too easily for traps like these."

"Looks like her straightforward character's also in her swordplay!" Aya chuckles. "That's all?"

I nod. "Yep, those three."

"I still lack training." Youmu says, clearly talking to herself there.

"No worries. Nobody's an instant expert." _Except maybe Medaka._ (4)

"You're right... I'll just have to keep training hard." She nods, her eyes regaining their usual will. "Ah, Ikuto."

"Yes?"

"Does your weapon... have a name?"

_A name? Oh yeah, all the Keyblades have one. Somehow it feels like I should name mine too. _"Not yet, but I think it does deserve one."

"Ho~ What are you going to name it? The Key?" Aya suggested.

I facepalm at the lame naming sense. "Definitely not that. Let me think a bit."

Bringing out the Keyblade, I examine it once more. _Doesn't feel like it's going to transform or anything... like it's saying 'this is my form'. But the keychain... that part feels different. _I clasp it in my hand, feeling it grow warm with my body heat. _Huh, going with my feelings again. Then again, Gensokyo and common sense does not go together. Hmm... my future in Gensokyo, a key unlocks a keyhole..._

"Looks like he's thought of something." I hear Youmu comment in an aside to Aya.

"You really know him well, don't you." Aya counters by teasing Youmu. "Anyway, I better be going. I heard a rumor that something's going to go down at the Scarlet Devil Mansion soon, so I need to stake out the place!"

"You're not staying to hear it?" I ask in surprise.

Aya's wings extend from her back, and flap a few times. "Tell me when you're giving me my interview. Goodbye!" With that, she flies out of the place.

Youmu touches my shoulder. "So, what did you name it?"

I open my hand to look at the design of an eye on the previously blank square, in an opposing color to its background.

"Future Gazer." (5)

* * *

><p>"Let's see... cloth, clips, scissors, an actual chair..." I look over the items I had collected. "There's something else... ah yes, a comb."<p>

Finding it, I bring the items out to where Youmu is training. Seeing me come towards her, she stops and approaches me.

"What's the matter, Ikuto?"

I put the chair down. "I need your help for this. Honestly, it might be better to wait until I go to the village..."

"Wait. You're..." Youmu realizes it already.

I nod. "Yeah, I'm going to be leaving soon."

"Already?"

"I've been here nearly two months. Remember," I remind her, "Yukari's agreement was that I would spend time at various places. I think she brought Aya over as a reminder." Frowning, I realize that would mean Yukari knew about my deal with Aya, though that was quite a leap in logic.

"You're right..." Youmu looks at what I brought out. "What do you need from me?"

"Actually, my hair's been getting long, and it kind of bothers me. Do you mind cutting it for me?"

Minutes later, I'm sitting on the chair with my shirt off and the cloth wrapped around my upper body to catch the hair, as Youmu slowly snips away at it. It reminds me of the time when my mom used to do the same in order to save money, back when I hadn't turned ten yet.

"Kind of like trimming the plants, right?"

"It's similar." Youmu agreed. "But it's my first time, so..."

"Take your time." I tell her cheerfully. "I don't mind this. You know, I recall from some shows in my world, that some girls cut their hair when they want to change something about themselves."

"But you're not a girl." She points out while running the comb through the side.

"No I'm not." I admit sheepishly. "But what I was referring to is the change. Seems right to ask you to do this when I'm going to go."

"..." Youmu cuts off another thick bunch. "So... when?"

"The day after tomorrow, latest."

A long time passes as she slowly continues cutting my hair, before either of us speaks again.

"Say, Youmu..." I break the silence first.

"Yes, Ikuto?"

"I've never told anyone this before, but... I'm weird."

"Oh?" Youmu stops. "How?"

"I don't mean the 'I choose to live in the Netherworld' sort of weird." I breathe in and out, knowing I'm going to tell her something I always kept secret. "I meant emotionally."

When she doesn't reply, I continue on. "You know, those romance stories talk about love between people. I don't know what that's like."

"I thought that was normal for those who've never experienced it." She replies quietly, resuming her movements.

"Yeah, it is. But somehow, I _can't_ recognize that. I've imagined all sorts of scenarios; love at first sight, _tsunderes_ (6), many different situations, and I can imagine some very realistic ones, enough to get the related emotions." It's like a dam burst with the way I was talking. "But I... I just... can't figure love out."

"..." I can feel Youmu's hands shaking a little.

"I know, Youmu." I say softly. "I know how you feel. About me, I mean."

"Y-You do...?"

Nodding, I turn around. "Maybe I don't know what it's like, but what I do know, is that I care for you. And Yuyuko. Heck, I'd die for you if needed."

"Don't talk like that!" Youmu shouts, "I don't want you to talk about dying!"

"Sorry." I look away for a moment, before staring at her seriously. "But the thing is... if love's meant to be only for one person... then I don't think I'm the one for you. These emotions... I'm not really sure, but they don't feel... unique."

"...do you really think that?" Youmu's hands hang limply by her side.

It's hard to say, but I force the truth out. "I do."

"...then it's fine, isn't it?"

I blink. "What?"

Youmu puts her hands on my shoulder and turns me straight again, and resuming her cutting. "The Ikuto I know treats everyone nicely. He's courteous, hides his opinions when he thinks they'll offend or hurt someone, but doesn't hold grudges."

_She noticed that much?_ "...actually, I do hold grudges. Like the fairy that got me lost and caused me to meet that youkai, I'd like to knock her on the head."

"Not against those you know, at least. Marisa's pretty rude sometimes, but you treat her the same always."

"She's okay, actually."

Youmu laughs a little. "The librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion doesn't always think so. And that tengu, you don't like how she does her interviews, but you don't fault her for that, so you come up with that agreement instead."

"How'd you know the reason?" I couldn't help asking; that reading's more in-depth than I expected.

"Yuyuko-sama told me."

_Okay, now that I can imagine a little. Yuyuko's deeper than I thought... Though I didn't expect her to tell Youmu._ "I see..."

"But that's what I like about you, Ikuto." Youmu's hands pause for a moment, then went on. "I think that's what Yuyuko-sama likes about you too."

"You sure it's not the fact that I cook for her sometimes?" I quip, making her giggle.

"Maybe." She snips off some more hair on my left. "Ikuto, do you like Yuyuko-sama?"

"Of course. Even though she's a little... troublesome at times."

"The same way you like me?" Youmu asks directly.

I think about it for a while. "Not as much, but close."

"Okay, you're done." Youmu takes off the cloth and shakes off the hair. "Where's the... you didn't bring a mirror?"

"Ack, I forgot that. Never mind, I'm used to checking with my hands. Yeah, it's perfect."

"That's great then." She smiles at me. "Say, Ikuto..."

"Yeah?"

Youmu takes a while to ask, but does so nervously. "Will you... feel differently about me while you're outside?"

I look up at the bright sky of the Netherworld as I imagine the scenarios. "...no, probably not."

The emotions in her smiling expression make me feel a little warm inside, doing quite a bit to alleviate the feeling of being a cruel bastard who hurt her feelings. _Though sometimes, I wonder whether I really deserve her love. But no matter what, I'll do all I can to live up to it._

"I'll go get a broom to sweep this up then."

* * *

><p>(1) The use of the -san suffix still represents some distance between two people, use of the name alone is considered informal.<p>

(2) A futon is the Japanese mattress. Normally in those rooms without beds, they are stored in a cupboard, only taken out when going to sleep.

(3) It means 'umbrella'. Here's the position: Find something long to represent a sword, like a stick or rolled-up newspaper. Next, hold it up just above your head, with your hand above your shoulder, _not your head_ (New learners often do this, so when an attack goes for the head, it hits the hand, which will leave a painful bruise). Tilt your 'weapon', so that the end of it is lower than your hand. By doing this, an attack that goes for your head will hit and slide off to the side, aided by your left hand if needed.

(4) Kurokami Medaka from Medaka Box, a Shonen Jump manga. She has this ability that allows her to master anything she does, a Mary Sue if you ever see one.

(5) Title of a song by fripside, played in the OVA of A Certain Scientific Railgun.

(6) A character of girls that initially treat the main character of a story harshly (tsun), but can become really shy and cute (dere) at times. Examples include Shinonono Houki from Infinite Stratos, Misaka Mikoto from Railgun (above anime).

For those who were expecting a Keyblade, I hope I don't disappoint them with how I did and am going to portray it. The name took a while to think up; that song rates slightly above an 'okay' and below a 'nice' to me, but it kind of fits.

Well... I wasn't entirely sure about my writing during the last scene. And the fight scene. And the start. Nah, just joking about the last two.

I was thinking, 'after going so far to develop his relationship to Youmu... what should I do next?', and so I came up with the last one so I can develop his relationship into a harem eventually without making Ikuto into a blockhead (that's right, Orimura Ichika, I'm looking at you).

Yeah, you read that right. HAREM FTW!

Planning to write a bedroom scene in the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 7X: KeyxButterflyxCherryblossom

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	9. Chapter 8: Randomness & Departure

**In the last chapter, Ikuto is visited by Yuyuko in his room at night, and Youmu joins them. Unable to resist their advances, he takes them to his bed... after a pleasurable round of 'exercise', Ikuto passes out...**

* * *

><p><em>"..." I look around, with disbelief growing in my heart.<em>

_The surroundings were definitely recognizable. Barren shore, flowing water and a thick mist that concealed anything beyond a certain distance; there was no doubt I was at the Sanzu River again. It definitely wasn't a dream either, as I felt completely alert unlike my normal, auto-reacting self when I was in a dream._

_"Oh COME ON!" I yell out, the vexation evident in my voice. "Why the hell am I here again? It was great, yes, BUT NOT _THAT_ GREAT! And why am I on this side? If I'm at Hakugyokurou, I should be on the _other_ side, where Higan is!"_

_"Who's that making so much noise over there..." A familiar voice grumbles from behind me. "I was having a nice- Woah! It's you again! What happened?"_

_"Hell if I know." I reply grumpily. "I just ended up here."_

_Komachi stares at me, then glances upwards. "The line's too thick for you to be here because of near fatal wounds. Something must have happened to knock your spirit out of its body."_

Could the nature of the partner really do such a thing? _I wonder, looking away guiltily since it felt weird to even consider talking to Komachi about this._

_"Well, since you're here for now, how about we continue where we left off?" She sets her scythe down and arranges her skirt before sitting down._

_"Might as well." I agree, sitting next to her._

_"So, how is your life at Hakugyokurou now?" Komachi tilts her head back as she looks at me._

_I pull my legs up so I can rest my chin on my knees. "I'm leaving soon. You won't be seeing me there again unless I end up going back."_

_"Or I end up bringing you there."_

Been a while since I heard her say something shinigami-related. _"Or that. But I'm going to be living in the actual living world. Just that... I haven't decided where."_

_She was silent for a while. "You know... I've never thought about this, but if I lost my job here... where would I go next? I'd like to be a reaper and go collect souls, like that Celestial girl..."_

_Ignoring that last part, I ask, "You're going to lose your job?"_

_"Huh?" Komachi shakes her head quickly. "No no no, that was just an 'if' situation. What I mean is, if you can't decide so easily, maybe that's because you like being where you are already."_

_I look out at the river. "Maybe. But unlike you, I'm a human. My lifespan is short, so I'll probably be dead before you know it."_

_"Huh? How is that related to what we were talking about?"_

_"It wasn't?" I think about it and realize she's right."My mistake. Yeah, I like being where I am. But considering where I came from, I want to see the rest of it too."_

_"Then there's no need to worry, is there?" Komachi stands up and dusts off her skirt. "I don't know whether tomorrow will bring another lecture or not, but if I'm going to be in for one, I'd rather have some fun experiences to go with it."_

_"Even if the fun experiences are the reason you get lectured?" I lie back and stretch out._

_"I just think to myself, 'It's worth it', and that's that." She picks up her scythe and props it over her shoulder, looking down at me with those red eyes. "Don't you agree?"_

_Briefly, I recall a time filled with long hours of study, and compare it to later, when I enjoyed myself. _There's no reason why they can't be reversed, can they?_ "Yeah, you're right."_

_"I think I'll just ferry a few souls over. It's so nice to be able to pick your job hours." Humming, she starts to walk away._

_"Thanks, Komachi-san."_

_She stops and turns to face me. "What for?"_

_"I forgot the reason I came here. You just reminded me." I feel a brief tug. "I'll be going now."_

_"Oh wait, Ikuto." Komachi holds out a hand to stop me. "You don't have to keep using -san with me. Just call me by my name."_

_I nod, smiling. "Okay then. I think I'll be back sometime to talk again, Komachi."_

_She frowns. "Wait, why would you be coming-_

* * *

><p>I blink a few times and sit up. My mind protests the movement by exploding into a headache, making me grab my head. It clears after a while as I get used to being awake, and I look around while the memory of last night comes back to me.<p>

_It's morning already. Youmu's gone, but Yuyuko's still asleep next to me._ I lift up the blanket that's on our bodies. _I don't recall crawling under this, so that's probably thanks to Youmu. Better go find her and see how she's doing._

"Waa~ so much food~" Yuyuko mumbles and shifts around.

_Some things never change, I guess._ _I feel the urge to wash off all this sweat. _Quietly, I slip out of the futon and get dressed before leaving the room. _The key... I'll... yeah, I better take it with me. _Entering the room again, I pick it up and put it into my pocket.

There's no sign of Youmu to be found as I walk in the direction of the bath; the garden has quite a few leaves scattered around, and when I knock on the door to Youmu's room, there's no reply. Thinking I would eventually come across her, I go and wash my body off in the bath. In the morning, the water in the bathroom isn't heated, but I welcome the refreshing coldness as it clears my head. Still, I'm shivering as I dry myself and get dressed in new clothes. About to leave, I notice the emptiness in my pocket and dig through the laundry bin.

_Whoops, nearly forgot this. _Picking up the key, I exit the changing room. _Maybe I'll just hold onto it instead. As long as I don't activate it and somehow stab myself in the chest._

Yuyuko's still out when I peek back into my room, so I decide to look for Youmu. Sure enough, she's preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Feeling a bit mischievous, I sneak up behind her and hug her from behind. Of course, I make sure she's not carrying anything hot first before doing that.

"Wha- Ikuto!" The moment she saw my face, Youmu blushed and looked away.

"Morning, Youmu." I squeeze and release her. "You okay?"

"Huh? Ah, uh, that, uhm, ...y-yes." _Damn, she's cute when she's shy._ "G-good morning, Ikuto."

"Need help fixing breakfast?" I watch her as she refuses to meet my eyes.

"A-ah, no, no, I'll be... fine."

"Youmu. Look at me."

_This time, I'll be the one attacking._ It takes a few seconds before Youmu realizes I had kissed her quickly on the lips, and her blush deepens. _If this was an anime, she'd have steam coming from her head. Still feel a little nervous about being open with my affections, but it's not too bad... I think._

"Aaah..." She suddenly puts her hands against my chest and pushes me out of the kitchen, shutting the door in my face. "Ikuto..."

"Yes?" I answer through the door.

"I enjoyed last night." That was all she said before I heard her stepping away from the door and resuming her cooking.

"I did too."

A loud clatter, as if she dropped a pot. Grinning, I turn to head for the dining area when I realize my right hand is empty.

_Wait, where did the key go- _I blink. Then a few times more. _You're kidding me._

"Hi hi~! The fastest reporter in Gensokyo has arrived!" The arrival of Aya's heralded with a burst of strong wind as she lands in the garden outside. "Whatcha' doing, Ikuto-kun?"

Silently, I lift up my left hand to show her.

"What- How did you do that, Ikuto-kun? There's a key stuck into your palm!"

_Tell me something I don't know._ "I have no idea. I wasn't paying attention when it happened."

Aya comes over. "Let's get a closer look at this."

Minutes later, we're sitting at the dining table examining my left palm from different angles.

"I see, I see... It goes in pretty deep," Aya says while leaning to the right, "But there's nothing coming out from the back." She observes as she leans over to the left.

"I'm going to try and pull it now." Gripping the part that stuck out, I tugged. "Nope, not moving."

"Let me try." I release my grip so Aya can have a go. "Ready... GO!"

It doesn't hurt, but it feels like there's some invisible force that's pulling on my whole arm as she leans back, pulling as hard as she can. Then, all of a sudden, the key slips right out, causing her to fall back on her butt.

"It worked!" Aya exclaimed.

I touch the place where the key was. "Huh, no hole. What did you do?"

She grins at me. "Simple, I just twisted it."

_Somehow, that gives me a bad feeling._ The moment that thought entered my mind, a hot feeling encircles my wrist. _What the- _"NNNNNGH!"

"Ikuto!" I hear Youmu call out. "What's wrong?"

Just as suddenly as it appeared, the burning sensation vanished. "What the hell was that?..." I pant out, trying to blink the spots out of my vision.

"Something appeared on your wrist." Aya's voice sounds very close to me, and I feel hands grab my left wrist. "Look."

Exhaling slowly, I turn my head to see what she's referring to. Somehow, a thin silver chain, barely loose enough to shift back and forth, had materialized on my wrist; I won't be able to slide it off at all. On closer examination, there wasn't any latch on it, only two small square chips that the chain seemed to melt into at one corner and come out the other. Curiously, it didn't tickle like the time I tried on one of those metal bangles some old men in my neighborhood used to wear; a vigorous shaking made the chain jump violently, but the most I felt was a light touch on my wrist.

"Ikuto, are you okay?" Youmu asks me worriedly.

"Guess I'm fine." I reach over and pick up the key where Aya dropped it and press the end against my left palm. "It doesn't go in now."

"Could either of you explain what just happened?"

Quickly, we fill Youmu in. If not for the chain on my wrist, I doubt she'd believe the story. As Aya tries to evade the blame for turning the key, I peer closer at the chips.

_Square, looks blank at first glance, but it's actually colored. One half green, one half white. _I glance at Youmu. _Too coincidental. The other one... yep, it's pink with a bluish tint. Just like... _I look up as Yuyuko walks in. _That ghost who just came in with her clothes put on so messily, her breasts are nearly falling out._

All three of us move instantly; Aya raises her camera, Youmu leaps in front of Yuyuko, and I stick my hand out to block the camera's lens. The tengu makes a 'tsk' as she realizes her chance for a service shot was blocked, and pushes my hand aside as she lowers her camera. Youmu finishes fixing her mistress's clothes, and leaves to get breakfast.

"Ikuto~" Yuyuko drops into the seat next to me and leans on me. "Going soon~?"

_Yeah, she's actually pretty sharp. _"Yeah." I look at Aya. "You'll be wanting that interview, right?"

Aya coughs uncomfortably. "Actually, I thought I could get something to eat." Her stomach growls audibly. "Didn't manage to get any food while I was on stakeout. But of course, I'll take that interview if you're offering it."

"Let's get some food first." I hold out my fist.

"Agreed."

Fist bump, third time.

* * *

><p>I'm leading Aya to my room for her to interview me when a thought strikes me. <em>Wait... when I left my room, Yuyuko was still asleep. And she's not the type to clean up. I CAN'T BRING AYA THERE! Not when there's so much evidence of what happened there last night!<em>

"Ikuto-kun? Why'd you stop?"

Stretching my hands over my head as casually as I can manage, I turn towards the garden. "Somehow I don't feel like cooping up in my room to talk. How about we just have that interview here?" _Please, don't insist._

"That's fine with me." Aya sits down and dangles her legs over the walkway before I even register her reply.

_Tengus prefer open areas, don't they? Lucky me._ "So," I grunt as I sit next to her, "Where do we start?"

"First," Aya twirls her pen, "How's the Netherworld been?"

"It's quiet and peaceful, though there are times where people come in, either by invitation, or they just drop in unannounced."

She makes it a point to ignore the last part. "Then, how's Hakugyokurou?"

"The mistress and gardener are very kind people, though the mistress can be a bit of a handful. As for the gardener, she's a nice girl, very dedicated to her job."

"So what have you been doing here?"

"Learning lots of practical skills. Cooking, swordfighting, cleaning and laundry."

She smiles. "You've really gotten good at those, then. That fight with Youmu, you matched against her really well, with... Future Gazer, your weapon. And the dumplings you made, I'd like to eat them again sometime."

"Maybe next time."

"I'll be looking forward to that time." Aya glances down at her notes. "So, what are you going to do next?"

_Oh yeah, I haven't decided on where yet._ "I'm going to... well, I haven't decided yet, but probably... uhh..."

"Hmm..." She taps her pen against her chin. "Maybe it's better to... yeah. Ikuto-kun!"

"H-huh, what?"

"You don't have to tell me where you're going to go." Aya jumps to her feet. "A bit of mystery will keep the readers of the Bunbunmaru guessing and eager to read the next one!"

"You're going already?"

"Yep, I got some _really_ good material." She covers her mouth with one hand, giggling. "This deserves to have its own article!"

_That sounds very suspicious._ My blood goes cold again. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"During a certain trip to the toilet..." Aya pulls a single page out from her book. "I got curious about _somebody's_ room..."

_No. She didn't. _Too late, I remember she did excuse herself during breakfast to go off somewhere. _Youmu's nowhere nearby. I have to stop her!_

"Let me see..." Pretending to lean in, I put my hand into my pocket to take out the key. "Wow, pretty cute handwriting you have... _THERE!_"

I swing as fast as I can, but she's gone before my strike even comes close. Hearing laughter, I look to my left to see Aya hopping from one foot to the other a few meters away. Adrenaline's running through me now; I have to stop her from publishing that information, but that bit of movement just now tells me it's going to be a hard fight. Possibly the hardest ever.

"Nice try~" Aya calls out to me, "But there's no way you can beat a tengu in speed."

I point my weapon at her. "Maybe I can't, but I'm not going to give up until that page is destroyed."

She grins in reply. "I won't fly or run out of this place, so show me what you can do."

_Damn! _I think to myself as I run after her. _I'm totally being played with here!_ _She... won't... stay... STILL!_

Laughing at my efforts, Aya keeps dancing around, barely out of range of my swings. When I cut to the right, she goes to the left; when I dash forward, she backpedals and goes around to my back. All the while, that dangerous piece of paper is fluttering between her index and middle finger in her left hand, a reminder of what's at stake for me and the inhabitants of Hakugyokurou.

"I thought... your newspaper... wasn't the sort... that'd report this!" I launch a horizontal swing, and she flips over me.

"Because there wasn't anyone interesting involved! Woah!" Aya lands behind me, and barely avoids my follow up stab. "Pretty good one there!"

"Thanks!" I switch Future Gazer to my other hand and continue pursuing her.

This time, I conserve my energy, focusing only on running after her. Seeing this, her movements become bolder; instead of staying out of my range, she comes in close, trying to tempt me to use my hands to grab her. Aya even goes so far as to blow a kiss when our heads are so close I can feel her breath against my face. It feels like a repeat of my morning workout, so my stamina handles the movements quite easily.

_No use trying to chase or corner her with direct movements. Let's try something new. Might end up injuring myself though._ Dismissing my weapon, I go into a straight dash for her. _Getting the hang of her movements now. She's holding that paper like she does with her fan in the fighting games! Now... what were her other movements?... She's leaning towards me, but her weight's on her back leg; she's going to dash backwards!_

Sure enough, Aya skips back, and spins to dash around my left. Following her movements with my eyes, I smirk inwards as she further confirms the similarity in her movements by the way she stretches the hand with the paper behind her. Pausing for a moment, I take a break to recover a little.

"Tired already?" She's fanning herself with the page. "You had a few good moves, but it's not enough."

"Haa... Haa... not yet... that's not... all there is..."

Aya takes her crouching stance; balancing on one foot while the other rests atop the knee, while she puts her elbow on the knee of the latter so she can prop her chin with that hand. "I'm sure you do have something up your sleeve."

_Two... no, three traps to get her? I hope my hand-eye coordination can pull that move off. _I bring out Future Gazer's weapon form in my right. "Yeah... let me know what you think of this. HAH!"

I run right at her, twisting my body to prepare for a back swing. _Back step. _I jerk the weapon forward in a feint, and she falls for it, going back like she did before. I stare at her support leg, and bend my body forward. _Hopefully she forgot that that Youmu's weakness can also be used as a lure; nobody said you could only feint once._

_First trap._ Aya, fooled into thinking I was aiming low, jumps up, doing a forward somersault as she flips over me. I twist my left foot before it lands, bending the knee to absorb the shock of reversing my directions. "Hhhn!"

"Ayaya!" She gasps as I unleash the swing just as she touches down, but responds beautifully by leaning back to avoid a strike at her head.

_Second trap._ _Wonder what's the storyline like in Reborn now..._ The right swing was a fake; my empty hand cuts harmlessly through the air far from her. I see her eyes widen as she realizes the key is dropping down... into a swinging left hand.

"Shigure Souen Ryuu! Samidare!" (1)

Slow motion again. Even as the Keyblade's form is coalescing, Aya moves, even quicker than Youmu did. Her upper body twists in a way reminiscent of how I pulled off my directional reverse, going from leaning backwards to a low dash to my right. It's such an impressive maneuver to pull off at high speed, that I feel a mix of jealousy and admiration for her. But my attack hasn't ended yet.

_Final trap._ The Keyblade I have, is only a Keyblade in form. When I took out the key to battle against Youmu, I grabbed it while it was upside down. Yet the form that appeared was orientated upwards as usual. In that case... It can materialize in whichever direction I want it to.

"Wh-!" Aya, her body tilted as she's dashing, seems to have realized the incoming danger.

A loud clash echoes throughout the garden.

With my hand holding it in reverse, Future Gazer's point is pressing against Aya's maple leaf fan. She managed to block it, though I managed to stop her movement in an odd crouch.

"I wanted to see what you would do, but you actually forced me to block. Impressive, Ikuto-kun." Aya smiles at me over her fan. "Good thing I still had my right hand, or that instant weapon reverse would have hit my head."

_So she knew I was going for something, huh. _Forcing myself to relax, I disengage away from her and walk some distance away before turning back to face her. She hasn't moved from her spot, though she did stand back up and tucked the fan back into her belt. _There's only one last card to play..._

"Giving up already?" Aya waves the paper at me. "I'm really going to publish this, you know."

"One last try. You'll be flying off if I don't get that paper, right?" I ask.

She nods. "That's right. I know that look in your eyes. Ikuto-kun, what've you got in mind?"

I thumb behind me. "I'll try to hit you while you dash past me. You're free to leave once you've passed me."

"I thought you knew better than to take on a youkai directly?" She raises one eyebrow.

"I'm not." I settle into the same stance Youmu does sometimes, a half-crouch with the weapon held near the opposite hip, preparing for the _iai_ (2). "I'll show you what I mean with this."

"Interesting. On my pride as a journalist, I'll accept that challenge for knowledge!" Aya goes into her ready stance as well; her knees are bent slightly with her left shoulder aimed for me, almost mirroring my stance. "Anytime you're ready, Ikuto!"

_Wait... she's going to use Domination Dash? It moves differently from her normal dash, doesn't it? Her sprite in the game moves so fast I couldn't tell. _I study her body posture. _Yeah, there's no way she'd swing that left hand out all the way. Most likely the farthest it'll go is somewhere in front of her chest._

I close my eyes and focus on the weapon in my hand as I pinch its length around the center between my thumb and index finger. Normal _iai_ made use of the resistance from the scabbard to launch a super fast cut; without a scabbard, I needed something else to play that role. My muscles strained, building up the tension needed to launch the fastest strike I could ever do.

_But it's not enough._ My own thoughts echoed what Aya said earlier, so much so that it sounded like she was speaking in my brain. _Then, I'll borrow Youmu's power as well! It might be the first time I use this, but since it's the proof of my bond with her, I can place my trust in it!_

The chain feels warm against my skin, and I can feel the Keyblade changing shape. The metal I'm pinching is flattening, while the texture of the grip becomes rougher. More control, more precision...

I open my eyes and kick off the ground. "HAAAAAA!"

Aya's skirt flutters as the wind gathers around her, building a destructive shield to support her charge. "Domination Dash!"

**-Aggregation Style: Scattered Cherryblossoms-**

The blade tears out of the grip holding it back; a single cut that slices through the barrier around Aya as she goes past. Unlike Future Gazer, my new Keyblade encounters resistance as it goes through my target, though it's so light it's practically negligible. With my attack done, I straighten up and look behind me.

With her propulsion cut by my attack, she slows and comes out of the Dash with a forward flip that puts her feet on the ground, before turning around and waves the paper at me again.

"Guess you forgot that your Keyblade doesn't cut physical items."

I lift it up to show her. "This one does."

Aya blinks at the unfamiliar weapon, then looks at the page in her hand as thin pink lines spread out in a web from the trail I left on it with my cut. She releases it before the lines spread to where she's holding it, and the paper disintegrates into shreds among pink petals that fade to nothing.

"I didn't know you could transform your weapon. And you were moving really fast when you attacked just now, almost like Youmu's speed."

"I just realized it just now. Still," I look at Aya's chest, "I wasn't really aiming that well, but it still doesn't damage living things, it appears."

She barely manages to cover her front moments after the disintegration of the cloth over her chest reveal a black bra underneath. "Ayayaya~ looks like I lost this one." Nodding approvingly, she continues, "But I understand what you meant now. You said you'd attack me, but you actually went for the paper. Smart thinking, Ikuto-kun."

I nod, "Attacking you and attacking a part of you are two different things."

"I guess I'll retreat for now. Till our next interview, Ikuto-kun!" Aya spreads her wings and jumps to the top of the wall. "But you know..."

"What?"

"I still know what you did." She taps her head with one finger. "And I'm going to pu~bli~sh it~! Bye bye!"

_WHAT? _"Hey, wait!" I yell, but she's flown off already.

"Ikuto? What's wrong?" Youmu asks from behind me.

I turn around. "I think I understand why tengus are so scary now." I tell her.

* * *

><p>"So this is..." Youmu picks up the new form of the Keyblade. "I can hold it. It doesn't revert like your Future Gazer."<p>

_Probably because it's partially linked to you somehow._ I look at the chain on my wrist. _That green-white chip got replaced by a miniature version of Future Gazer's keychain. Oh yeah... speaking of keychains..._

The design of the new Keyblade is vastly different from Future Gazer's. The thin shaft bears the wave pattern of samurai swords, one side blue, the other side green, ending in a sharp point at the end. The head is in the shape of the flower that Youmu carries on her sword with its petals as the Keyblade's teeth, while the handle and hilt guard also resembles that of the samurai swords, though the hilt guard is white, narrowing as it tapers down to the end.

"What a cute keychain..." Youmu goes silent as she looks at a design that shows a ghost with its tail draped around the sword next to it. Next to her, her ghost half suddenly starts bobbing up and down, as if happy.

_She realizes it._ "Thanks, Youmu."

"Guess Yukari-sama was wrong." She giggles a little. "I can still protect you like this."

"Yep, I'm a lucky guy to have your protection." I grin and pull her in for a hug.

She wriggles in my arms a little. "Ikuto, you actually like being physically affectionate, don't you."

"Sometimes I do, other times I don't. It's like a random thing for me." I admit. "Right now, it's one of those times."

"Mmm..." Youmu buries her head in my chest for a moment, before pulling back. "You're sweaty, go take a bath."

"Yeah, I should." _Thanks to chasing Aya around._ "I'm fine with the cold water, so don't bother heating it up for me."

"Ah, before you forget." She held out the Keyblade.

I chuckle as I take it and return it back to its small form, feeling the chain on my wrist warm again. "I seem to forget it very often."

"You'll get used to it. I used to forget my swords when I first received them too."

_How many years ago was that, though?_ "If I don't lose it permanently first," I joke as I walk away.

"Ikuto."

I turn around again. "Yes, Youmu?"

"What's its name? I mean... our Keyblade?"

_True... haven't thought about it yet._ "Hmm... give me a while..." I bring it out to study the shape once more.

_That blue-green color scheme is like the two separate spell cards in the fighting game. Well, then there's the flower, and the keychain..._ "Youmu, any suggestions? You're partly responsible for this too."

She gives me a surprised look. "Me? Well... I think its name shouldn't have something related to a sword. But..."

"How about~" Yuyuko suddenly appears out of thin air, like when I first came to Hakugyokurou. "You both contribute one half?"

"Yuyuko-sama!"

"That's a pretty good and fast idea, actually." I say thoughtfully. _Though a bit risky._

"Just say the first thing that comes to mind when you look at it or each other~" Yuyuko pushes Youmu closer to me and puts her hand over mine. "Three~ Two~ One~"

"Phantom." I say, looking at Youmu's ghost half curling over her shoulder.

"Blossom." She blurts out a step slower than me, her eyes fixed on the top of the Keyblade.

The keychain flashes, and when I look at it again, the sword on it has turned into a flower. The chain has been replaced by three pink links in the shape of the petals.

"There, Phantom Blossom~" Yuyuko announces cheerfully. "How about mine?"

_I didn't use hers. Does it have a different ability from Youmu's?_ With my left hand, I touch Phantom Blossom's shaft and try picturing Yuyuko being a part of it. _It's not working. How did I manage it back then?_

"You do it like this~" Yuyuko removes Youmu's hand and puts hers in its place. "I think," She adds.

Before the eyes of everyone, the outline of the Keyblade blurs and warps, before settling into a new appearance. As I expected, the head is one side of a pink butterfly, attached to a shaft that resembles a Japanese grave tablet in shape, except it's pink with a thin blue outline. At its base is an iridescent butterfly with a white trail growing from the end of either wing to reach down to a white triangle with a swirl on it at the pommel.

I glance at the design of the pommel and look at Yuyuko's hat. _So they're the same. And the handle is... blue, like her clothes. If the Kingdom Heart Keyblades are representative of the worlds, mine seem representative of the girls... hey, that rhymed._

"So~ time for the naming~" Yuyuko swings our linked hands up and down as she counts, "Three~ Two~ One~"

_Butterfly would be fitting for her, but it's too obvious._ I randomly cast around for a substitute, but Yuyuko speaks first.

"Life." Contrary to her flippant way of speech, Yuyuko's eyes have a look that I've never seen before.

"Eater." _Old and wise... is that the true character of Yuyuko Saigyouji? Crap, now I regret not thinking of something that doesn't sound insulting._

However, the keychain twinkles, as if to show its acceptance of that name. Like the hilt guard, it's a butterfly, one that flashes blue, pink, green and yellow. The name seems rather morbid for something so beautiful, but then I recall... the Saigyouji Ayakashi was the same.

_That's a very disturbing thought. Somehow, I don't think I'll use this unless the situation is really bad._

Yuyuko looks at me with amusement in those old eyes. "Some things just fit." She whispers.

* * *

><p>After a light lunch, I return back to my room to continue from where I got interrupted last night. Without hesitating, I cross out Reimu's name from the list. As much as I'd like that girl (not in the way I do with Youmu), I have a feeling that life there might be slow... and I kind of had enough of that in Hakugyokurou.<p>

_Two out of three... let's go with that then. _I cross out Alice's name as well. _Now it's just a matter of these two._

"Ikuto, I brought you some tea." Youmu calls through the door.

"Ah, thanks. Come on in."

Youmu enters and sets the tray on the floor next to me. "Still not yet decided?" She asks kindly.

"Nearly... maybe I should leave it up to luck, but I've been doing that so often it feels like I'm... how do I put it... being reckless."

I hear a soft giggle, and turn to look. "...ah, it's nothing." Youmu bluffs.

_I guess being in a relationship means you can laugh at your partner when he's being dumb, and he won't mind. _I think to myself amusedly. _Ah, no, not 'being in a relationship', it's 'being in love'._

"Looks like you're getting along well."

"Oh, Yukari. I thought you'd be asleep for a day more." I put the charcoal stick down and turn to face the source of the voice. "At least."

"Now, now, I do have times where I don't sleep as much." Yukari defends herself. "But of course, if you don't want to go..."

I sigh. "Let's skip the jokes. How fast do you want me to decide?"

"By tonight, if possible."

"Yeah, I can do that." I agree, nodding.

"Yukarin~ shall we have dinner together~?" Yuyuko pulls another one of her fade-ins again, this time glomping on me.

"I believe I'll accept your invitation for once, Yuyuko." Yukari smiles at her friend warmly, completely different from the way she does towards me. "By the way, Youmu..."

"Y-y-yes, Yukari-sama?" _Odd, why is Youmu so nervous?_

"Were the books I gave you last evening of any help?" Yukari asks wickedly.

The blush on Youmu's face is clear even though she tilts her head down to hide it with her bangs, and it answers several questions right there and then.

"Do you enjoy playing the matchmaker?" I wanted to know.

Yukari covers her mouth with her fan. "After all I've put you through, surely you deserve _something_ in exchange."

_BULLSHIT METER IS OVER 9000._ "Well then, I guess I better go help make dinner if you're eating here."

Youmu stands up with me, though she doesn't meet my eyes.

"Yuyuko, I'd like to bring Ran and Chen along, if that's okay with you."

"Of course~" Yuyuko disengages herself from me; wait, did I just stand up while she was still holding on? "Shall we talk in my room~?"

"Yes, I think we shall." Yukari starts sliding back into her gap, but stopped when only her head was left. "Ran and Chen will be at the kitchen, so just feel free to ask them for help."

That's how I ended up getting to know Yukari's shikigami, and that shikigami's shikigami. (3)

"Ikuto-san, pass me those vegetables."

"Here, Ran-san."

"Thanks."

"Ikutooo~ I can't reach the plates on that shelf."

"Ah, here you go, Chen."

"Thank you, Ikuto-nii!" (4)

_Wait, who's the one asking for help here!_ But from looking at the three of them, I know I'm pretty much outclassed in terms of housework. _Guess that's the limit of a human. Still, I'll do what I can._ _Just keep wor~king, just keep wor~king. _(5)

"Ran-san, what sort of food does Yukari like to eat?"

The woman with short blond hair standing at the stove turns to look at me. Her clothes are similar to Yukari's, with a blue color scheme instead of purple. The trademark nine tails of her species fan out behind her... if not for a bit of movement here and there, it would have looked more like part of a very elaborate costume.

"Actually, she doesn't seem to mind eating anything as long as it tastes good. In all my time as her shikigami, I've never heard her ask for anything specific."

"Not like Chen asking for fish?"

Ran nods. "Plus given the fact that she sleeps quite a lot, usually she just wants food as fast as possible."

_It's hard to learn anything about her... _Staying silent, I continue helping out with the rest of the small tasks, while paying attention to the meals that Ran is fixing. _Never had some of these stuff before, plus with the preparation time involved, I'll probably have no patience trying to make them. Doesn't hurt to learn, though._

"I think we're just about done." Ran says as she takes off her apron. "Since there's still some time while the food cooks, is there anything else you need help with?"

Youmu nods, "There's quite a bit of laundry to be done."

"Just leave it to us!" Chen replies cheerily.

A few minutes later, I'm getting a bad sense of déjà vu as I bring the laundry basket to the washing area. _Wait, who was the one going to clear my room?_ I blanch when I cross paths with Chen, who would look cute with the way she's hugging my futon to carry it, if not for the fact that there's a few blood stains on it.

"Ikuto-nii, were you hurt? And why does your futon smell weird?"

_Uhhh... how old was Chen again? Oh wait... Youmu's like sixty, but she was still a virgin... can't judge by age here. So... what do I tell her? Is Ran the protective type in this world? Will I get killed if I corrupt Chen?_

"Ikuto-nii?" Chen presses, giving me a curious look.

"Uhh... Chen, you know how there are some things you don't want other people to know?"

The nekomata (6) looks around furtively before whispering to me. "...yes."

"This is similar to that, understand? So we don't need to ask about it, alright?"

She looks up at the ceiling as she thinks over my words. "Ohhh... okay!"

_I think that did it. _Exhaling in relief, I follow Chen to where Youmu and Ran are waiting. Like me, Youmu's expression turned to shock when she saw the futon. Though I gestured a silent message to say 'it's okay', she didn't look totally reassured.

"Ran! Ikuto-nii's got the same problem I did!" Chen tells her owner excitedly. "I'm not the only one that wets the bed!"

I smack my forehead with my left palm as Ran stares at the futon before giving me a bland look that speaks volumes. Youmu breaks into a fit of giggling, while Chen just looks between the three of us with an innocent, puzzled expression.

* * *

><p>"So, Ikuto, what's your decision?" Yukari asks me as she sips from a small sake cup while Ran and Chen clear away the dishes after dinner.<p>

"I'm not too sure, but just drop me off at Eientei for now. Maybe I'll decide after talking to the people there."

"Ikuto, you should spend one more night here and go in the morning instead." Youmu advises.

"Indeed. We wouldn't want you to get eaten by a youkai." Yukari approves.

_Somehow that sounds really wrong to me, coming from her._ "Okay then." _Hmm, maybe instead of staying at Eientei, I could stay with Mokou? But I'm not sure if she'll be receptive to Yukari's plan, since she's a loner after all._

"I'll come back in the morning then. If by any chance you've settled on a decision, you can tell me then. If not, I'll put you at Eientei like you asked." Yukari drains her cup and stands up. "Ran, Chen, we're going. Thank you for a lovely dinner, Yuyuko."

"My place is always open to you, Yukarin~" Yuyuko bows slightly from her seat.

"Bye bye, Ikuto-nii!" Chen waves before following the other two through the gap.

Later that night, I hear a knock at the door and open it to see Youmu wearing a pale robe and carrying a pillow with her. It's the first time I've ever seen her wearing something other than her usual green dress.

"Can I... sleep with you tonight?" The pillow she's hugging covers the lower part of her face, and her bangs nearly obscure her eyes entirely.

"Sure. Come on in."

She puts her pillow next to mine and crawls inside the fresh futon next to me. A few minutes pass with us staring at the ceiling in silence, before I feel a touch on my hand. Automatically, I take her hand in mine, feeling the contrast of her rough palms with the smooth skin on the opposite side.

"Decided yet?"

"Yeah."

"That's good then."

"Come by and see me whenever Yuyuko sends you over."

"Of course I will." Her fingers tighten around my hand. "You won't forget about me if I don't come for a while, right?"

_She must be really nervous to actually ask me that._ "Not when I've got your protection with me all the time to remind me." I reply, the feeling of the chain barely noticeable on my wrist.

"By the way, Ikuto..." Youmu speaks up after a few more minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"If by any chance... you do... feel the same way about someone else..."

"It won't change how I feel about you." I don't hesitate to reassure her of that.

"I see... that's enough for me. Good night, Ikuto."

"Night, Youmu."

* * *

><p><em>"So you really did come back again." Komachi prods me with the blunt end of her scythe. "I asked Shikieiki-sama about the possible reasons why a human would gain the ability to have his spirit travel outside of his body."<em>

_"So, what did she tell you?"_

_"Some long lecture about how I'm finally putting more effort into learning more about my job. She even makes her praise last for a long time." Komachi starts grinning down at me. "'A human's spirit may leave his body through _interactions_ with certain things, most commonly ghosts.' You really did it, didn't you."_

Great, now Komachi knows as well. _"What of it?"_

_"How was it like? I mean, actually putting your dick in a ghost."_

Pretty crude words from her. _"Those white blobs? I didn't do anything to those."_

_"If you didn't, then..." She claps a hand over her mouth. "_The mistress of souls! _No wonder you're here!"_

_I blink at her. "Is there something I'm missing here?"_

_"She's got the power to invoke death in anyone she chooses. It looks to me like you nearly ended your life when you... you know." Komachi makes a ring with her thumb and index finger and sticks her other index finger through._

So there are limits to how much vulgarity she's used to? Oh yeah, need to pretend I didn't know that. Actually, I forgot about it. _"Uh... huh. But I'm still alive here. I mean... back in Hakugyokurou."_

_"That's true." Komachi finally sits down next to me. "So, when are you leaving?"_

_"Tomorrow morning." I look around at the dim surroundings. "How do you tell what time of the day it is here?"_

_"It's just after midnight. Actually," she continues, looking a bit sheepish, "I can only tell if the sun is up or not."_

Maybe that's why you end up slacking. _"Well, never mind then. So, what do you want to talk about now?"_

_"How about..."_

_Our conversation goes on and on, randomly jumping from topic to topic by whatever interesting link that comes up between one and the next. Compared to the one I had with Kaguya, Komachi is more of an actively equal partner in this one. Rather like two people taking turns at the driver's seat, and enjoying whatever direction we take._

_"But that kind of card-" I break off as I feel the usual tug. "Ah, looks like it's time."_

_"Already?" Komachi asks in surprise, "That felt quite fast."_

_"It did for me too. But I think I'll be coming back again."_

_"Oh, okay." She nods. "See you then."_

_"Bye for now."_

* * *

><p>"Ikuto, take this boxed lunch with you." Youmu hands me a wrapped bundle. "Don't forget to wash it when you're done eating."<p>

"Thanks." I pat my pocket to feel the purse she gave me inside, and put the bundle away in the pack that contains my extra clothes. "Don't worry about me so much, I'll be fine."

"But you're leaving~" Yuyuko complains.

_Normally that would irritate me, but I'm starting to get used to it now._ "It's not like we won't see each other ever again. You could ask Yukari for help, and you know it."

"I'm surrounded by people who keeps asking me to do stuff." Yukari mock-complains as she walks out of a gap to my right.

_I bet that's your own karma for manipulating others. _"Surprised to see you on time. I thought you'd oversleep again."

She yawns right in my face. "I almost did. In fact, after I send you over, I'll be going right back to my beauty sleep."

"Just make sure you send me to the right place." This time, I manage to say what I didn't get to at Eientei. "Yuyuko, Youmu, I'll be going now."

"Stay safe." Youmu waves.

"And eat well." Yuyuko adds, doing the same.

Grinning, I return their wave, and follow Yukari into her gap.

* * *

><p>(1) The style name followed by a certain move of that style. 'Late Autumn shower, Blue Swallow style: Early Summer Rain', it's from the series Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn, used by Yamamoto Takeshi, it's a feint, as shown by the movement. Ikuto sure likes his manga to use so many moves from them.<p>

(2) The quick draw of a sword. _Iai_ is the modern term for the _battoujutsu _in Rurouni Kenshin. The resistance theory is like flicking a finger; the amount of force generated by simply moving your index finger alone is little compared to when you use your thumb together with it.

(3) Familiar. Like 'shinigami', you should already know this term if you're familiar with Touhou.

(4) -nii suffix is meant to be used with someone who's like an older brother. A colloquial version of 'Onii-chan'.

(5) To the tune of the chant sung by Dory in Finding Nemo.

(6) Cat youkai. Same thing as (3), Touhou fans should know this already.

Recently found out that putting an exclaimation mark followed by a question mark or vice versa gets it reduced to the first one when I upload... doubt I'll go back to edit the past chapters though.

That's the end of the Hakugyokurou arc, with Ikuto's next destination still somewhat of a mystery. But with him outside the Netherworld now, Ikuto's life is going to be much more complicated. But one thing's for sure, he's going to go ahead: Zenryoku Zenkai! And he'll have fun while he does. He does seem to forget his key quite often, maybe it's because he's still not that used to having it.

Scattered Cherryblossoms is a mystic sword move that causes whatever it slices to break up into small pieces, just like the wind from a swing causing petals to scatter, thus its name.

It took a lot of thinking to come up with the names for his new Keyblades, but when I imagined Yuyuko joining in, things went quite smoothly. Kind of like the comparison between the Life Eater and the Saigyouji Ayakashi.

Next up: it's THAT chapter, expect to see a certain ice fairy!


	10. Chapter 9: Of 6 and 9s

**The story flow is getting even stronger now... funnily enough, I can see it slowing down when my exams are over. I got too much else to deal with.**

* * *

><p>"Thanks for your business! Please come again!" The shopkeeper waves at me as I leave with the groceries in a basket.<p>

So far, it's been slightly over two weeks since I left the Netherworld, and since then, I've only seen Youmu three times, but it doesn't look like we're in any danger of drifting apart. I've managed to get to know some of the humans living in the village quite well; it's amazing how much closer people are to each other in a place like this compared to the modern age, where everyone there seems to either congregate in cliques or keep to themselves. Here, people actually go out of their way to talk to you, giving a friendly greeting when they pass by, or even invite you out for a meal. I kind of had a reputation since I was a new outsider, which they assured me was rare, since unwary outsiders were often prey to youkai and didn't even make it to the village. Rather morbid humor.

Speaking of reputations, mine had a certain kind of rakish quality for a while, thanks to Aya's article on me. Though the picture featured me in my original clothes, which were hopelessly torn by that youkai, people here were very good in recognizing me based off it. Possibly because I was seen around the village in the company of Youmu. I won't bother to repeat what Aya wrote in her reveal of what I did, but needless to say, it was very direct in presenting evidence to back up her words. Still haven't seen her since that day, and not sure how I'll react when I do.

I turn right at the weather-predicting dragon statue and continue down the road, stopping in front of a house with the nameplate 'Hieda'. Knocking on it, I get admitted into the residence, and led through the garden to a room where a young girl awaits.

"Afternoon, Ikuto." The Child of Miare greets me. "Finished reading it already? You're faster than I expected. Only five days and you're more than halfway through it."

Hieda no Akyuu, the writer of the Gensokyo Chronicles with the ability of photographic memory that lasts through reincarnation, has been kind enough to let me read her records, which did lots to help me familiarize myself with the inhabitants of Gensokyo. In exchange, I run some errands for her, though she already has servants to do that.

"I was always a fast reader." I explain, handing the packet of tea leaves to the servant waiting nearby. "It was quite interesting to read what you wrote about Yuyuko."

"You have to tell me about her sometime." Akyuu sets down her brush. "I can honestly say that I've never known anyone who would live in the Netherworld on purpose. I hear the flowers there are beautiful, but staying there for that seems excessive."

"The funny thing is, I hardly paid attention to those flowers." Without taking my shoes off, I sit on the walkway. "Was too busy training or doing something else."

"Seems like a waste."

"I'm quite the practical person, Akyuu-san. Ah yes, here." I take the scroll from the basket and toss it to her.

"You'll be wanting the next one?" She turns around and slides the scroll in next to others on a shelf. "Ah, this one has information that will be of particular interest to you."

"What's inside?"

"Tengus. Particularly one Aya Shameimaru." She pulls out the scroll next to the one she just placed on the shelf.

_Doubt there's anything in there I can use against her._ "You read- I mean, subscribe to her newspaper?"

"The articles in the Bunbunmaru are quite interesting. Particularly the recent one about an outsider who lived in the Netherworld for two months." Akyuu tosses the scroll to me, which I catch and put into the basket. "I never expected him to show up at my house out of the blue."

"Now you're just teasing me." I get up and turn to leave. "I'll bring some snacks next time."

"Do stay a little longer then, we can have some red tea to go with them and you can tell me some tales."

I nod and leave for my next destination.

She's only one of the many human acquaintances I've made since my arrival. By now, I know most of the food sellers and craftsmen here by name. Back in the modern world, I was rather self-focused... I knew the names of at most ten people in my cohort. Here, it's like every street I walk through, there's at least one person whose name I remember, like the boy running past me to deliver ramen to a customer's house; I ate at the stall where he works a few times in the past.

Eventually, I reach the entrance of the village, and head down the beaten path and through the trees. It's a route I've only taken three times so far, but I made sure to pay attention to where I was going. No fairy is going to prank me this time; in fact, armed with the knowledge from Akyuu's scrolls, I know what signs to pick out, as well as which possible suspects to keep an eye out for. If I ever find those three fairies...

I stop by two rocks with unnaturally flat tops. Taking out the key from a pocket which I sewed into the inside of my clothes, I materialize Phantom Blossom and cut through one of them horizontally before replacing it back where it was. Next, I set down the basket and drag my hand along the top, sliding the layer I cut off, before carefully flipping it over onto the other one. I've done this routine every time I pass by here as training, and now the original rock was nearly down to half its height. With that done, I pick up the basket and resume walking.

Finally the end of my destination nears; a long flight of stone steps stretch upwards in front of me. As always, I take them three at a time, climbing them quickly and easily until I reach the top, where a large red torii (1) stands. Turning, I look out over what most people know as Gensokyo, taking in locations such as the village and the surrounding rice fields, the Forest of Magic, and the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, where Eientei is. Farther off in the distance, I can see Youkai Mountain, its top shrouded in clouds.

_Wonder what that girl's doing; I expect she'll make a move soon. _Turning around, I look at the old Japanese structure in front of me, my destination: Hakurei shrine. The area around it has been swept, though a few leaves have blown in since then. _Time to make Reimu happy again,_ I think as I walk towards the donation box in front of the place and peering into it, _really, I'm the only one donating any actual money here. There's quite a few twigs and leaves._

The sound of coins hitting the slats and falling into the box has barely faded before the door behind it slides open. But the person in the doorway isn't Reimu; I blink in surprise at the sight of a starry pattern on either side of the figure. The most noticeable thing about that girl was the presence of a red globe on the front of her chest, followed by the hexagonal rod on her right arm. This was someone I hardly expected to see here.

"Somebody's really here!" Utsuho Reiuji, more commonly known as Okuu calls over her shoulder. "You got donations, Reimu!"

"I DID?" I hear Reimu's yell from behind Okuu, moments before she gets pushed aside by the familiar girl in red-white clothing. "Where? Who- Ikuto!" She breaks into a smile on seeing me.

"Yo." I walk around the box and ascend the stairs. "How've you been, Reimu?"

"Fine as always. I just made tea, would you like some?"

"Sure." I take off my shoes and step inside on the tatami surface. "So, who are you?" I ask, despite already knowing the answer.

"Utsuho Reiuji. I'm also called Okuu." She tilts her head curiously. "Who are you, mister?"

"I'm called Ikuto." After introducing myself, I turn to the other person present. "And you are?"

The girl with her red hair in twin braids and black dress bowed slightly. "Kaenbyou Rin. Call me Orin. You're a friend of the sister over there?" She jerks her head in the direction of the kitchen, where Reimu is.

"Yeah." I sit down at the table. "You could call it that. But, Orin," I use her nickname, "You don't remember me, do you?"

She shakes her head. "No. Should I?"

"Two months ago, that Yukari brought him over her during that party." Reimu says as she comes in with four tea cups on a tray. "He's going around staying with some of the people who were there then."

Orin spends a moment thinking about it. "Ah, that's right, I forgot about that, but I remember now that you mention it, sister." She looks at me. "So are you going to come by anytime soon?"

I smile and shake my head. "Probably not. I'm spending at least a month in each place, and I think preparation's needed before I go down into the Underground."

"Smart thinking, brother. Ah, thanks, sister." Orin takes a cup from Reimu.

"So where's Suika?" I look around; the ever-drunk little oni's nowhere to be seen.

"She said she felt like having some peaches and left before lunch."

_Ah, so she's up there._ "Was looking forward to seeing her actually. But guess it can't be helped." I quite enjoyed her company, with the way she told jokes and stuff.

"Another one of your just-dropping-ins?" Reimu asked dryly.

I smirk. "That's how things go here, don't they?"

"You're right." She sips from her cup. "Though I much prefer you to some of the other guests I get."

"Because they don't donate to this old, run-down shrine?" Okuu asks.

Reimu twitches violently. "It's not run-down because I want it to be!"

"What? That's what Satori-sama says." The hell raven's face is completely pure and innocent as she follows up with another heartbreaker. "Nobody wants to visit a place where the shrine maiden just lazes about all day."

I can almost hear a snap in Reimu. "Ho ho~... so that's what _she_ says, is it...?" She murmurs ominously.

"Unyu?" The poor girl had no idea what trouble she just started.

"Orin, Okuu," I step in quickly, "Here, I got some extra eggs. How about you go and boil them in the hot spring to eat, okay?" I hand out one to each of them.

"Oh~! Thanks, brother! Come on, Okuu." Orin flicks her eyes towards Reimu, then nods at me. "I'll leave sister to you."

"I see... so I'm just a lazy, no-good, ineffective failure of a shrine maiden in her eyes..." Reimu sets down her cup and takes her gohei (2) out of her sleeve as she stands up.

_When did that list of descriptions increase by itself!_ I quickly grab Reimu in a full nelson. "Calm down, Reimu!" I bark, "Don't worry about what Satori says!"

She struggles in my grip, but with the difference in strength, she's not getting out easily. "Let me go! I'm going to teach that smartass youkai some manners!"

"Come on, don't bother yourself with her!" I plead, "She's probably jealous because you get so many visitors while she's alone down there!"

"She is? I do?" Reimu stops thrashing. "But she's got pets with her." She starts kicking her legs, so I lift her up off the floor. "I'm going to beat them all down! Let me go!"

_Damn, didn't work. Hard way? _"Reimu! Sit!" I release her, grab her by the shoulders and turn her around.

She sits down on hearing the tone in my voice. Without giving her time to think, I grab her cup and thrust it back into her hands, replacing the gohei.

"Take a deep breath, hold it, and release. Now sip some tea."

Reimu does as I say, and relaxes a little. "Ahhh~" She sighs, savoring the taste.

"Okay... Now just remember all the incidents you've resolved."

She nods. "Okay, I remember them."

"There, you did all of those, right? That means you're doing your job as a shrine maiden."

"You're right, Ikuto." She puts her cup down and looks at me with a clear, commanding air. "I am the Hakurei shrine maiden, and I won't let the words of some shut-in youkai affect me!"

_Whew... looks like it worked._ I take my own cup and drink some of the tea to calm my nerves.

"I think we should check on those two." Reimu suggests. "They might be taking a bath instead of just cooking the eggs you gave them."

_Then they'll be naked, won't they?_ "Do they really do that?"

"Actually... no, they haven't yet. But it's better to be safe, right?"

"...fine. Let's go then."

As we're walking around to the back of the shrine, Reimu suddenly stops. "Ah, I forgot to collect the money from the box! Wait for me, I'll be right back!"

She dashes off, but I decide to go ahead first and check out the hot spring, which I've yet to see. As I turn the corner around a stone lantern, I see Orin and Okuu sitting a short distance away from the steaming pool, nibbling on the eggs.

"Ah, I-I-I... Unyu~" Okuu's expression is comical as she tries to remember my name.

"Ikuto." Orin helps her. "Okuu, that brother is called Ikuto."

"Ah, Ikuto!" The black-haired girl smiles. "Thank you for the egg, it was delicious!"

"You're welcome." Seeing that they were done, I jerk my head towards the shrine. "Come on, let's go back."

"Did you manage to calm that sister down?" Orin asks as we're walking.

"Yeah... I even took her gohei away from..." I look down at where the gohei should have been in my belt. _Oh shit..._

"What? What's wrong?" I hear Orin call behind me as I dash to the front of the shrine.

Sure enough, the room is empty, and when I check the box, the money is still in there. On the table is a note addressed to me.

_Dear Ikuto, I have decided to carry out my duties as a shrine maiden and exterminate a certain pesky youkai. Please excuse me for not being able to see you off, as this is a matter of personal importance. Yours, Reimu._

_Shit, I was too strung up over trying to calm her down to realize that she was trying to lose me. That 'they might be taking a bath' excuse sounds totally lame now that I think about it._ I reread the note again as the soon-to-be victim's pets entered behind me.

"Where's Reimu?" Okuu asks.

"I think... she went to see Satori." I crumple the paper and slide it under the cushion as stealthily as I can. "You better go back soon. Satori will be worried about you."

"He's right. Come on, Okuu." Orin takes off.

Okuu follows, but stops and turns back. "Goodbye, I-Ikuto!"

I raise my hand in a wave, before turning to clear the cups and dispose of the paper more effectively. _I hope nothing really bad happens._

As I'm about to leave the shrine, I throw in a few more coins into the box before putting my hands together. Honestly, I'm somewhat of an atheist, though I believe that there are some things out there that watches over us.

"I don't know if there's anyone there to hear me, but Reimu's doing a good job. Keep her safe."

With that, I descend the steps and go back down the path I took to get to the shrine. When I pass the rocks, I repeat the cut, finally managing to equalize the two in height. At the fork further down the road, I take the other route instead of the one that leads to the village. It was a risky move, but I often took detours as a way to train my orienteering and fighting skills.

This path leads towards the Misty Lake, the place where I got attacked. Since the time I started taking these detours, I've been attacked twice. Both times, I managed to beat the youkai back with only Future Gazer without sustaining any wounds, but they weren't easy. Like Youmu, I needed more training if I wanted to continue existing here.

"Hey you!"

Instantly, I draw the key, though I didn't materialize its weapon form yet. Looking around cautiously, I search for the source of that voice.

"Over here!"

_It's getting colder._ I realize who was the one hailing me. _So I'm finally meeting her, huh?_ "Who's there?"

"The strongest! Aye am the ice fairy, Cirno!"

She was the size of a child at the age of four, in a blue dress that was a slightly darker shade than her teal hair, with six icicles forming her 'wings'. Wearing a blue hair ribbon in the same style as Reimu, Cirno floated about two feet off the group, putting her around my stomach level. She had her arms crossed as she glared at me.

"Aye heard about you! You're the one that beat a youkai using his hands and legs!"

"Who told you that?" I demand.

"The three fairies Aye beat a while back!" Cirno floated closer. "They told me how you didn't fall into the lake like they planned, but managed to defeat a youkai without danmaku!"

_Culprits, confirmed._ I crack my knuckles. "And where are those three?" I ask pleasantly.

She points at me. "Aye don't know! Aye want to fight you!"

_Sounds like the sort of situation where I have to beat her to get answers. Though, _I think as I look at her assured expression, _I don't think I'll get any answers even if I do beat her._

"You want to fight me with danmaku?"

"Yes! Aye will prove that Aye am the strongest!"

"Fine." I put the basket safely behind a tree and bring out Future Gazer. "We shall fight. But not with danmaku."

"Then how?" Cirno demands. "Everyone fights with danmaku."

"Simple. If you land a hit on me, you win." _This looks like a good way to train._ "Agreed?"

"Okay! You shall see my true strength!" She raises her arms and shoots a stream of icicles at me.

Without shifting my feet, I swing in an X pattern to block, shattering them to pieces. They were fast, but nothing compared to Youmu's or Aya's speed. The attack ends after six swings, but I don't move to attack, and simply wait for her next move.

"Take this!" Cirno forms a rough block of ice and tosses it at me.

_Phantom Blossom: Four-Petal Bloom!_ Closing my eyes momentarily, I slash the block with a cross, causing it to split into four pieces that land harmlessly around me while the ethereal pink petals from the cuts float down. Seeing that, Cirno unleashes a white beam at my head. _Can't block that._

I simply lean to the side, letting it miss me. Still, the cold air from the beam is enough to make me shiver. Akyuu's notes about this fairy wasn't a joke; I might get frostbite if I'm not careful with this game. For the next few seconds, I'm moving like one of those comedy battles where I adopt all sorts of nonsensical poses to avoid the spray of beams Cirno is blasting out.

_Trans-form!_ I bend one elbow while straightening the other, with my hands angled upwards while I bend my knees to let another beam pass by over my head. _Cross-arm Beam! _Bringing the straight arm across my body, I form a cross with my arms and twist to the side to dodge the next. _The crane!_ Lifting one leg up, I spread my arms in the martial arts stance while Cirno's attempt to freeze my foot fails. _Fu-sion!_ Leaning exaggeratedly to the side, I stick out my index fingers, imagining someone else is doing the other half where the tip of our fingers are touching, feeling the cool air on my armpit.

"Eey! Stop dodging!" Cirno cries as she charges up for another beam.

_Dynamic Entry! _I perform a jump kick over it at a tree, using it to stop my momentum. _ZA WARUDO!_ Making use of another one nearby, I cross my arms and let myself fall against it. _Forty-five degrees!_ Twisting around to shift my body, I slide down even further so that my body is supported only by my feet and head, and hold that pose for a second. Then I quickly slap the bark of the tree to launch me away while doing my best to ignore the ache on top of my head and in my neck muscles, while ice forms on where my head was a moment ago. _FRANKY! _Putting my hands back to back against each other, I raise them over my head, bending one knee to lean to one side, partially wishing that Cirno's beam would cause a colorful explosion behind me and add to the fun I was having.

"Here's my strongest one!"

_And here's MY final pose!_ Taking light steps to the side, I suddenly go into a spin to dodge that huge burst so closely that frost forms on my clothes. _Saturday Night FE-VAH!_ One hand on hip, other hand pointing straight up! _Okay, I won that game with myself. Time to get back to training._

"That's not enough to be the strongest!" Reforming the Keyblade in my hand, I point it at her. "You can't claim to be the strongest with that!" _Technically I'm repeating the same thing, but who knows with her?_

"Aye will show you then! Take this!" Cirno had a growing white light between her hands.

_More icicles?_ I twirl my wrist in preparation for it. _Let's go!_

When she thrust her hands forward, what came out were a spray of ice blocks each the size of my open hand. Automatically reacting, I cut down most of those that were in danger of hitting me and simply dodged the rest with slight movements of my limbs. She doesn't let up, and sends icicles to follow up.

_She's getting faster. Well, it was easy for me so far, so I welcome this improvement. _Whipping Phantom Blossom around in several high-speed arcs, I slash the bombardment of giant hailstones into tiny chips that melt to form a cold mist around me. _Man, doing this kind of amazing sword movements was just a dream to me two months ago! I really owe Youmu for this._

"Ice Charge!" yells Cirno as she flies towards me encased in a round missile of ice.

"Home Run!" I yell back, holding Future Gazer in both hands and taking a baseball swing at her.

The impact makes my hands go numb, but Cirno is sent flying among the trees, until she hits one and her ice shell shatters. Flexing my fingers, I do my best to recover before she does; Akyuu did write that fairies were practically immortal, though I had no idea how fast they could regenerate.

"You're strong!" Cirno comes flying back at me. "But Aye'm stronger!"

She twists, pulling out one of the icicles on her back and swinging it at me. With it suddenly growing before it lands, the force behind it manages to push me back a few steps before I throw it off. Undeterred, the ice fairy continues to hack away at me, forming new ice swords every time I shatter her current one by blocking with heavy force. When I suddenly parry and send her tumbling instead, Cirno is quick to recover and continue assaulting.

_Hmm, looks like she's figured out that she's got an advantage in close range._ I feel the cold she's exuding slowing my movements. _She's got battle sense, but it takes time to develop, it seems. Doesn't help that her opponents probably wipe her out straightaway and stop her from gaining experience._

"Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey! Eey!"

She starts throw a flurry of ice-coated punches, which gradually drive me back despite the furious parrying I'm doing. The moment my back hits a tree, she pulls back both hands, gathering a large ball of spinning white in each. Immediately, I jump up and kick against the tree, sending myself over her. The impact from hitting the ground hurts, and I feel a root dig into my shoulder blade as I roll to my feet.

_I really need to learn how to do somersaults and flips. _Grimacing, I roll my shoulder. _Damn, that's going to leave a bruise. But in any case, a bruise is better than getting stuck in... that._

A huge block of ice, at least three times the size of Cirno, encased the tree trunk that I had used to dodge. Akyuu really wasn't kidding about this one, she's most likely the strongest fairy around. I blink; Cirno wasn't in front of that tree. But I feel the temperature suddenly drop to my left.

"Ice Charge!"

She misses me when I dash forward. _Smart, she flitted behind the trees to come around from the side. _I look upwards at the darkening sky. _Ah, crap. I'd like to keep going at this a bit more, but I better get back._

"Cirno! Let's see that spray of yours!" I yell at her in my best imitation of a drill sergeant. _It'll be damn funny if she shouted 'Aye!' in reply._ I thought to myself amusedly.

"Aye'll show you then!" She shouts back .

Once again, a burst of ice blocks come flying at me. I cut down as many as I can, even those that are unlikely to hit, purposely overstretching myself. Unsurprisingly, a piece makes it through, hitting my left shoulder.

"Gah!" I grunt, falling to one knee. "You've managed to hit me!"

"Aye did it! Aye won! Aye am the strongest!" Cirno starts spinning in place, celebrating her victory.

_Let's hope I can pull this off with a straight face._ "You have proven yourself, Cirno." I tell her solemnly. "I recognize your strength."

"Of course! Aye am the strongest after all!" Placing her hands on her hips, she floats closer. "You cannot defeat me!"

"So," I go on, "I will tell you a secret." _Straighten your expression, man. _

"What? What is this secret?"

_Akyuu's info on her said that her interest is usually easy to direct._ "You must promise not to tell anyone else. Can you promise me that, Cirno?"

"I promise! Now tell me!"

"I am a traveler," I pause to fight from breaking into a smile, "Looking for those who are strong."

"That's me! Aye'm strong!"

"Yes, you are. You have passed my test." I inhale deeply. _Come on, just a bit more!_ "So, you can now claim a special title from me."

"What? What is it?" She comes even closer, her voice lowering to match mine.

Mustering as much courage and willpower as I can, I command her. "Bow your head and receive it."

She descends and bows to me, and I gently tap her on the head with my Keyblade, taking the chance to grin as much as I can before she looks back up.

"There, I hereby bestow the title of the N-N-Ninth on you, Cirno." Despite that moment of release, I choke a bit when I said the name of that title, but luckily, she doesn't notice. Recovering, I manage to deliver the second half without problems. "As the Ninth in the line of the Strongest, you must promise to never lose to anyone."

"Yes! Aye won't lose!" She pumps her fists excitedly.

"Good!" I get to my feet and stand over her. "At times, I will come to you to test your strength. If you lose, I will take back that title."

"Aye won't lose! Aye will win! And keep winning!" Thrusting out her chest, Cirno smiles proudly. "As the Ninth!"

_FIGHT IT! FIGHT THAT LAUGHTER! YOU'RE NEARLY THERE! _"Th-then, farewell, C-Cirno. We shall meet again!"

I turn and walk a few steps before stopping and turning back. "And remember, this is a secret. Never reveal it."

"You can count on me!" She thumps her chest with a fist. "Aye am the Ninth!"

Turning back as fast as I can so she doesn't see the wide grin on my face, I retrieve my basket and march away quickly. Behind me, I heard Cirno laughing loudly and celebrating the fact that she's won. I'm barely out of earshot before the shell starts to crack.

"Eheh, heh, heh heh, heh heh heh, ha ha- Ow!" I curl up slightly as pain stabs into my side.

_Probably overdid it during the posing sequence. But now, I got someone to _really_ spar with. _I start to laugh, but flinch from the pain once more. _My conscience tells me I should be ashamed of myself for playing such a trick on her, but..._I turn and look in the direction of a happy ice fairy, _she seems so overjoyed, maybe it's fine._

"Besides," I add to no one, "That. Was. So. Damn. Funny! AAAHAHAHA- Owwww~"

As I slump against a tree for support while I let my ribs recover, I look at the weapon I'm holding. _Good training today. Gave my left hand a good workout. _Switching Future Gazer with the basket in my dominant hand, I quickly execute a series of slashes, carving a nearly perfect square into the trunk of a nearby tree, and transforming it back to Future Gazer before my hand comes to a stop. _Can't forget to work my right a bit too._

Putting the key away, I start walking back towards the Bamboo Forest, occasionally breaking into chuckles and suffering another stab of agony to pay for it. Along the way, I feel some youkai pay attention to me, but my seemingly odd character seems to turn them off, and I am allowed to pass unmolested.

The Bamboo Forest of the Lost is, as its name suggest, a forest of bamboo that is easy to get lost in. I'm good at orienteering, but that place is a nightmare to navigate, with bamboos looking nearly identical and their leaves blocking the sky. I got lost quite a few times already, and had to fight a few youkai before I found my way out. Pretty much reminded me of some dungeon exploring game, except there's no save points and game over is permanent. Following that comparison, youkai rabbits are like escape ropes. They know me by sight and I can ask them for help, though I once made the mistake of trying to talk to a normal rabbit. Tewi was laughing at me when she heard about it from the youkai rabbit that found me.

Still, I pretty much got the hang of the area between the general entrance from the human village and Eientei. It's when I try risky stuff like this, going in from a different direction, that I have a chance of getting lost.

_Let's see... _I call up a mental map. _I should be around here... that means, I need to go straight a bit more before making the turn._ Trudging onwards, I pick up the pace a little as the light continues to fade. _Better hurry... ah, there!_

I step onto the stones that mark the path and follow it to the main entrance, climbing up the steps. Still feeling a bit humorous after the incident with Cirno, I decide to enter with something new, and take a few deep breaths to build up the courage for it.

Yanking the door open, I put as much cheer into my voice. "Darling~! I'm ho~me!"

* * *

><p>(1) The red gate-like structure that most Japanese shrines have.<p>

(2) A stick with paper talismans on one end, used by Japanese priests and shrine maidens during ceremonies. Or you probably already know it from seeing Reimu with it in the fighting games.

No line breaks used! One whole, continuous account! I kind of wonder if I'm overdoing it a little on the descriptions, but meh, since this is from Ikuto's viewpoint, it shows what he is and is not paying attention to.

The title really fits this time, don't you think? Ikuto's meeting a lot of people now that he's in the living world. Still doing a lot to train up too.

The following poses he does are from: Kamen Rider, Ultraman, Air Gear (Kogarasumaru's team pose), Dragonball Z, Naruto, Jojo (or Sakuya's Perfect Maid move), One Piece, One Piece again, and Saturday Night Fever (Iku's card declaration pose). If you recognized all of those, give yourself a pat on the back!

If possible, imagine yourself in his situation when he's talking to Cirno. I tried, and kept breaking into laughter more than he did.

Notice that I purposely wrote the story to make it unclear who he's actually greeting. Is it Reisen? Tewi? Eirin? KAGUYA? Or possibly one of the youkai rabbits instead? XD


	11. Chapter 10: 'I'm not your Darling'

**Thanks to those four people who left the review on Cirno's chapter! And so, who Ikuto is staying with... shall be revealed! It may be what you have expected, but this author has a trick up his sleeve!**

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Ikuto." Kamishirasawa Keine stood in front of me. She wore a smile of amusement. "I didn't know you two had this kind of relationship." She turns her head to say over her shoulder.<p>

"We don't!" Fujiwara no Mokou denies vehemently. "I'm not your 'Darling', Ikuto!" Despite the irritation in her voice, she makes no move to get up from where she's seated cross-legged in front of the fire pit.

"She's not very honest with herself," I whisper conspiratorially to Keine, making her giggle.

Mokou glares at me. "What? What did you say?"

"Nope, nothing. Sorry I'm late, I'll get started on dinner right away." Shedding my shoes before I enter, I look at Keine. "Kamishirasawa-san, would you like to eat with us too?"

"If it's not too much trouble for you. And please, Keine is fine. I know my surname is quite a mouthful." Keine touches my clothes. "Why are you damp? It wasn't raining today."

"Ah, the reason for that is the same reason I'm late." I start preparing some meat and heat up a pan. "Ran into this ice fairy on my way back from Reimu's place."

"Ah, her." Mokou frowns at me. "What did you do to get her attention?"

Keine goes over to sit next to her. "Cirno's normally not the type to bother normal humans."

I nod. "Yeah, but you know the incident I had with a youkai a few weeks back?"

Keine looks baffled, but Mokou nods. "I saw that gardener go by with your bleeding body then. What does that have to do with that fairy?"

"You mean that's the one that the article mentioned?" Keine asks sharply.

"What?" I look from one to the other while whisking the eggs.

"I heard about that from Mokou, but I didn't realize that was you. Are you okay?"

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine already." I add the meat to the pan and start mixing them around. "Eirin's medicines are effective, after all."

"So?" Mokou demands, "Why'd that fairy go after you?"

"She heard about how I fought off the youkai barehanded, so she took that to mean that I was strong."

"You didn't get frozen, did you?" Keine asks me worriedly.

"Don't bother so much about him. You're just like some overprotective parent." Mokou tells her irritably. "Look, he's right in front of us, isn't he?"

"Really, I'm fine, Keine." I smile at her reassuringly. "Thanks for asking."

"Mokou..." Keine looks at her friend reproachfully.

"Hmph."

"Actually, it wasn't that hard to fight her off." I add the eggs. "In fact, I kind of got her to take me as a rival."

"Rival?" Both of them asked together.

"Yeah," I answer while stirring the food around in the pan. "She'd make a good training partner."

"Are you crazy!" Mokou snaps at me. "You'll get frostbitten, you idiot!"

"Mokou's right. That's too risky."

"I'll be fine, really." I divide up the food up onto the plates. "Here, I made scrambled eggs since it's fast and easy. Eat up."

Mokou glowers at me, but accepts the plate. Keine takes hers, but her expression still tells me she's worried for me.

Kamishirasawa Keine, the were-hakutaku (1) that lives in the village and teaches the children there. With silver-blue hair and her typical pagoda-like hat, she's easy to spot in a crowd of humans, not to mention that she's already beautiful to boot. She's always been very kind and concerned about me, almost like an elder sister, even though I've only ran into her three times since coming here. She seemed quite pleased to find out that I was staying with Mokou though, and told me I should do my best to watch out for that immortal. Though, sometimes I just wonder if there's any point to that...

"Ikuto? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Ah... just a thought, but why do you wear such low-cut clothes?" I say the first thing that comes to my mind, and regret it almost immediately. "Uh... well, you know..."

"Lecher." Mokou snipes.

Keine sets down her plate. "Stand up, Ikuto."

I do as she says, wary. She walks over to me and stops when we're nearly chest-to-chest. At this range, her head is just around my chin. At first, it doesn't seem like she's doing anything, but then I realize she's inhaling. Inhaling would mean that the air is filling her lungs, so...

_Oh. Better dodge._ I step back to avoid the sudden head butt, and quickly catch Keine when she goes off balance from missing her target. "I get it. Do you use that often?"

"Thank you for catching me. You're the first one who didn't get caught by that." She steadies herself, and goes back to eating. "Seems like any men who receives it don't dare to try again."

"A smart animal won't go for something they know is trapped." I nod. "But do you get those kind of advances often?"

"If any men dares to lay a hand on her, I'll make sure they regret it." Mokou says matter-of-factly.

"Sounds like Keine will stay a spinster forever with you around." I snipe back for her earlier comment.

"What's that you say!"

Keine waves her hand at the both of us. "Calm down, you two. Ikuto, do you really think that?"

"Actually, no. I'm sure you'll get a good guy eventually." I look at her questioningly. "Isn't there anybody who tried asking you out?"

She blushes a little. "Not really."

As we continue to eat, my eyes drift over to the other girl. Fujiwara no Mokou, a silver-haired, red-eyed albino that became immortal thanks to Eirin's Hourai Elixir. Certainly, her long life's been hard, with her extremely prickly personality and youkai exterminating skills as testament to it. Most of the females I saw in the village care a little about their appearances; Mokou doesn't. She wears a shirt with scorch marks and overalls covered with paper charms all the time, clearly for the purpose of function only. It's been hard getting her to open up to me, but with just the two of us, I can manage somewhat.

"What?" She notices and asks me irritably.

"How many today?" I ask pointedly.

"..." She looks away defiantly. "Two."

"So, did they thank you?"

"One did." Mokou finishes the rest of her food. "I'm going out. You," She narrows her eyes at me. "Don't go anywhere till I get back."

Keine follows Mokou with her eyes, but doesn't stop her. "You really managed to get her to talk. How did you do it?"

"I just ask her questions she doesn't mind answering. Maybe it'll get better in the future."

"Really, thank you. I worry about that girl, but I can't leave the village whenever I want."

I shake my head. "Don't worry so much. I'm grateful to her for letting me stay, so I'll do my best to watch out for her. Anyway," I change the subject, "How are your classes?"

"The children are being as troublesome as ever. It's hard to get them interested or even do their homework." Keine smiles regretfully. "I really wish I could do something about that."

"How about you let me take a look at your syllabus? I'll try to help if I can."

Keine raises her hands in protest. "But I don't wish to bother you with my troubles."

"Oh come on, you already helped me so much, surely there's something I can do for you in return, right?" _Really, don't be so reserved. _

"But..."

_You show so much concern for others, but you're not used to receiving concern in return?_ "It's okay to ask your friends for help."

"You're right..." Keine bows her head to me slightly. "Then I'll accept your offer of help, Ikuto."

"Ah," I remember something important, "But I think it'll have to wait one week. Today's the last day, after all."

"Oh yes..." She realizes what I mean. "Then, I'll come by here when you're free again?"

"Sure, that's fine with me." I finish the last of my food and stand up. "But really, Keine, I'm surprised to find out that you don't have any suitors."

"Is that really so shocking?"

I nod, taking her empty plate. "You have a lot of good qualities that most guys in my world would jump at right away. Can't think of a reason why no one's asked you out."

She blushes again. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Haha, sure, sure. What would you like to talk about then?"

"You and that half-ghost."

I continue washing the dishes casually. "What about me and Youmu?"

"You're in a relationship with her, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I do love her. But our relationship's not the usual type." I tell her without hesitating.

"What do you mean?"

"She's fine with me seeing other people."

That shocked Keine. "What? But, I don't, how, why?"

"All Youmu wants is for me to keep on loving her as I've always done." I finish drying the plates. "I can do that, no problem."

"And... are you... seeing anyone else?" Keine asks me slowly, as if dreading the answer.

"No." I dry my hands on the cloth and turn to look at her. "Besides, Mokou is more likely to set me on fire than kiss me, don't you think?" I ask dryly.

"Eh? M-M-Mokou?" She's taken aback by the other girl's name. "I didn't mean..."

"I'm joking. Really, Keine, Mokou was right when she said you were like an overprotective parent." I grin at her. "Ease up a little."

"Ikuto!" Keine shakes her head and heads for the door. "Really, you're just like some of those mischievous kids!"

"Anyway, see you next week?" I try to confirm with her.

She looks up from where she's putting on her shoes. "Yes, thanks again for your help. Tell Mokou I said goodbye."

"Of course." I send her off with a wave, before leaning against the door with a sigh.

_Good thing I managed to distract her by bringing up Mokou's name. I don't want to tell her about my emotional status just yet._ I perk up when I hear the sound of footsteps approaching. _Who's... ah yeah, that's Mokou's usual trudge. Huh? Sounds a bit off..._

"Mokou, Keine just-" I blink. "Woah, what the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing. Shut up and move."

Mokou's clothes had tears and holes in them, and the way she grimaced while clutching her arm told me something bad had happened to it, even though it looked fine now that she had healed. Still, her glare at me hadn't lost any of its fieriness.

I step aside for her. "So... what exactly did you go to do?"

"Tomorrow, you don't get to leave until you learn some heat control." Her tone brooked no objections. "That disease-ridden whore knows already."

_Ah... of course. So she went all the way to Eientei... to ask for time from Kaguya? And obviously, they fought. _Smiling slightly, I follow her in and close the door. "How does that work?"

"Tomorrow, I said." Mokou sits against the wall with one leg bent while the other lay flat. "I'm going to- What's wrong with you?"

I had winced for a moment when I twisted my body to close the door. _She's pretty sharp to notice, must be due to her battle experience. _"Just a bit of ache from fighting Cirno. I already got balm from Eirin to deal with that." _With all the training I do, that thing is a lifesaver._

"Take off your shirt." She says abruptly. "I'll put it on for you."

_Oh? _"Okay." I strip it off and take the jar containing the balm from the shelf where I left it. "Here it is."

"Where are you hurt?"

She applies the balm on my body, though with a bit too much force. Still, considering that this is another step of progress made, I can take a bit of pain. And besides, Eirin's medicine takes effect almost immediately, so the pain doesn't last too long.

"Thanks."

"Hmph." Mokou pushes the jar back at me and goes back to sitting against the wall. "I'll be sleeping now."

"Good night, Mokou. I'll be reading for a bit first."

She responds with a grunt, and I go around putting out all the candles except one. That one I put in front of me so that I block the light from falling on her, and open up the scroll from Akyuu to start reading. After finishing the part on Suika, I roll it up and put it away for another time, and take out a book I bought from the village.

It's kind of weird, actually. Gensokyo, a mystical place filled with the fantastic and paranormal, has an odd mix of culture. Scrolls exist alongside with books, a lack of electricity but a well-placed water system, and outer clothing that looks olden Japanese concealing underwear that's more modern; speaking of the last one, I actually came across a lingerie shop tucked away in a back street. Think I'll ask Keine about it sometime to confirm my theory that the people in Gensokyo find bra and panties pretty innovative, so they incorporated it. Hope she doesn't head butt me for it.

Anyway, in this book, I record down stuff I know about my Keyblades. I started off with a comparison list, like writing down what Sora's Keyblade could do, and then conducting experiments to check how much of a similarity there is. So far, I've got general stuff like 'Tapping locked items with my Keyblade does not open them', 'I cannot lock stuff from a distance by pointing my Keyblade at them', plus some more specific ones like 'Phantom Blossom can simply pass through things if I don't want it to cut'.

_Still, somehow this is looking more like a book of skills from some RPG. _I flip to the back, where I wrote down the names of some of the techniques I came up to use with Phantom Blossom. _Four-Petal Bloom, Scattered Cherryblossoms, Sakura Falling, that's three already, while Life Eater still has none. If it really has Yuyuko's ability... I don't want to take that sort of risk._

Closing the book, I put it away and blow out the candle. Mokou's breathing lightly as she sleeps, but even so, I approach as quietly as possible before putting a blanket over her. So far, she hasn't made any objections to me doing that, and I'm taking that as a good sign. Quietly, I set out my own futon next to her and go to sleep as well.

* * *

><p><em>"Ah, you're back again." The redhead looks up at me from where she's squatting while tossing rocks idly into the river. "This makes the third time."<em>

_The times I'm coming here after sleeping with Yuyuko is getting further apart, but the rate of increment is slowing down as well. Like Komachi said, it's the third time for this current three-day cycle. I have a strong feeling that these visits won't ever end, but the question is how far apart will the spacing get._

_"Were you lonely?" I pick up a rock and try to skip it; no luck, the Sanzu River doesn't allow such things._

_"Kinda." Komachi takes out a coin and starts twirling it in her fingers, something we practiced together for fun. "I've gotten pretty good at this, don't you think?"_

_"Yeah." Picking up a few good-sized stones, I try to juggle, managing to do so for three seconds before I miss one. "How are you doing?"_

_"The usual, ferry a few souls over, take naps, practice these things you show me." Komachi tucks the coin away. "So, what shall we talk about now? Anything new happen to you?"_

_"Yeah, listen to this..." I tell her about my time with Cirno._

_"HAHAHAHA! That sounds awesome! Hey, hey, show me those poses you did!" Komachi grins widely, gesturing for me to stand up._

_"Okay, ready? One, two, and..."_

_Each time I perform a new pose, enlisting Komachi's help to do the ones that needed support, she bursts out into a fresh wave of laughter. The mood is infectious enough to make me grin as well. She asks me to do it again, and I comply. Just as I'm finishing my third time, a soft voice comes out of the mist to interrupt._

_"Oh? A shinigami, and a ghost... and a surprisingly cheery atmosphere for so dreary a place." _

_"And who might you be?" I copy the speaking style of the newcomer in reflex._

_"Swimming through the clouds, observing the inhabitants below, warning of disasters when they are impending..." A shadow appears in the mist. "But I did not come to do so today."_

_"You're... why would an oarfish be here?" Komachi asks curiously._

_The hat-wearing woman with blue hair gently settles down onto the ground, but the red shawl wrapped around the arms and body of her red-clothed torso still continued to float in defiance of gravity. Even I'm surprised by the appearance of Iku Nagae here; she's not the type to leave the clouds unless something really bad is about to happen._

_"The Eldest Daughter has gotten into one of her moods. I do not wish to have her cause trouble, and have gone in search of the human that has occupied her thoughts."_

_Komachi glances at me. "And you just came down here?"_

_"The whispers of the tengu say that he is in the Netherworld, where Celestials cannot tread."_

_"But isn't there the other entrance?" I ask._

_"I will go there next, if the human is nowhere to be found here." Iku looks at me. "Oh? You're not an earthbound spirit, nor a ghost with lingering attachments, but one that's not truly a ghost. What are you?"_

Good thing she doesn't read the Bunbunmaru. _"I am a friend to this shinigami."_

_"Indeed, the atmosphere you have built between the two of you is like that of close friends. Quite unlike the one that the Eldest Daughter forms with others."_

_"Does that stuck-up Celestial need another beating?"_

_"It seems that she would benefit from one. But please, it's a secret that I said that." _

Time to play the ignorant person as usual. _"By the way, you've said so much, but I've yet to hear your name. Or the name of this Eldest Daughter of yours."_

_"I am Iku, of the Nagae, and a messenger from the Dragon Palace. The Eldest Daughter of the clan of Hinanawi is a spoilt child by the name of Tenshi."_

_"I am Ikuto." I introduce myself. "Would you care to talk a little?"_

_"Ikuto!" Komachi hisses. "What are you thinking?"_

_"I would prefer not to be the one to shatter the mood." The oarfish youkai turns to leave, but stops. "Or perhaps I should, if only to find out the reason for this secrecy."_

Yeah, she'd notice that. And don't you get taken in, Komachi!_ I put my hand on the scythe and shake my head to stop her. "But isn't harmony important?"_

_"It is. But like earthquakes, a hidden secret may grow in strength until it manifests into an irreversible disaster." Iku steps closer. "What sort of secret lies concealed beneath the earlier atmosphere of joy?"_

_"I can demonstrate what we were doing before you came, if you like."_

_Komachi stifles a giggle._

_"If you would."_

_Feeling a little embarrassed about doing this in front of Iku, I repeat the poses once more, and when I do the culminating pose, she actually smiles. _Huh, I actually made Iku smile? That's kind of amazing, isn't it?

_"I do not quite understand the reason behind these poses you take, but they certainly do have an uplifting effect." She glances at Komachi, who's grinning in spite of herself. "Indeed, you have crafted an atmosphere that surprises me. Yet the secret still remains."_

_"Perhaps it's because you're not aware of the joke yet." I suggest, "Secrets aren't exactly called secrets for nothing; it's not easy for those that... remain apart to know them."_

_"Ah, now the mood has shifted." Iku murmurs. "You would welcome one such as me?"_

_"I would." I look at Komachi. "I used to just hang back and observe, but being a part of things isn't bad either."_

_Komachi nods her acceptance. "It's not like you're a Celestial."_

_"Then I shall accept. However, I am afraid to say that I have yet to locate the human, and so I must take my leave for now." Iku looks at us. "Why are you amused to hear that? Is a departure something to be pleased about?"_

She can read the atmosphere, but she can't always understand the reason for it? _"No no, it's just that you'll be coming back, right? Then that's not a permanent departure." I point out, giving another excuse to hide the fact that both Komachi and I know who she's looking for. _We're pretty alike in our fun-loving characters.

_"Truly, you are not like most humans. I confess that even my curiosity is aroused by you." She comments._

_"He'll be back in three days, so come around then." Komachi adds before Iku leaves._

_She nods in response. "Then I shall return three days hence."_

_We manage to hold in our laughter until Iku has left. "HAHAHA! I never thought I'd get to see such a thing!"_

_"Think she'll take offence at the fact that we hid it from her?"_

_"Eh, no, I'm sure it'll be fine. You have to be like that spoilt Celestial brat to even get her angry."_

_"Wonder what Tenshi's up to? You don't think she'll cause another earthquake, do you?"_

_"If she does, there's no shortage of people that will make her regret it." Komachi spins her scythe lazily. "I really wish I was a reaper sometimes."_

_"But then we wouldn't have met, right?"_

_"Yeah. Then there's-"_

_"Picking your own job hours." We grin at each other, then I feel the pull. "Okay, Komachi. Time for me to go."_

_"See you in three days, Ikuto!"_

* * *

><p>I wake up to find that Mokou has already risen. The blanket I put over her is there where she was sleeping, but unlike the previous times, it's been neatly folded. Smiling at this progress, I clean up the place and start cooking breakfast.<p>

"Good morning, Mokou." I greet when she enters. "Here, have some food."

"I don't need to eat."

"Keine told me to make sure you do." _Better not rely on the Keine card too much._

"Busybody." She grumbles, but eats nonetheless.

"By the way, how long will it take me to learn to control heat?"

"Eat first, talk later."

_Tsundere. _I think to myself amusedly. "Yes yes."

After the dishes are done, Mokou leads me to a clearing near her house. There, she goes into a long spiel that leaves me even more puzzled than I was when we started. I'm more the type that learns through practical application... maybe that's why my grades in university suck, when nearly all the information I get is theory.

"So... I just need to awaken some kind of magic?"

"Just do it!"

"Uhh... okay. Let's try..."

I focus as much as I can, but all I do is shake from the strain of tensing my muscles too much. Mokou keeps correcting me over and over, and by the time I manage to increase my body heat a little, we're both covered in sweat. Though I wonder if it's because the sun is starting to heat the place up a little; being sweaty counts as one of the things that irritate me the most.

"Really! You're just useless at this!" She grumbles.

_But you're actually caring enough to teach me this._ "Sorry. I'll try harder."

"Forget it, let's get some food into you first."

"No." I stop her. "I can do this. Don't worry about me."

"...fine." Mokou shrugs. "Have it your way."

_I hate it when people say that when the choice was originally mine to begin with. _Closing my eyes, I turn my attention inwards. _Magic's actually pretty hard for me, since I don't really have much power as someone from a world where youkai are just folklore. I kind of understand why Byakuren wants to save them at first, if not having youkai around means the loss of magic._

This time, I finally manage to find the small ball of energy that Mokou kept telling me to look for. It's probably a whole load tinier compared to what she thinks it should be. Reimu and the others make use of this to fly? That means I probably can't even float. But still, flying isn't the objective here. It's the conversion of A to B, and actually, it's almost like trying to fix a...

_Damn! I lost grip of it. Where is the thing again... okay, now it's gone lower down. And it's started regressing. Stay still! _I pour more focus into controlling the ball. _So, next I have to configure it... like this? Woah, the air suddenly feels hot!_

"Looks like you managed to control it. But you're lowering your body temperature instead."

_So... I just have to... _"Okay, now I'm feeling a little cold."

"Take it further."

"Won't I destroy my clothes or something?"

"Just do it!"

_So _tsun_._ (2)"Okay." _Here goes._

I gradually increase the heat, before opening my eyes to check. My skin is red, but I'm getting the hang of controlling it while reducing the amount of focus required to do so. Out of curiosity, I crouch down and pick up a leaf, before attempting to focus the heat in my palm instead of my body. From this range, it feels like I'm standing close to an electric heater on low power.

"Forget it, you don't have enough power to make fire." Mokou covers my hand with hers. "But you're really fast at control."

_I practice switching forms with my Keyblade every day in the midst of swinging. Control's the only way left without power._ "How hot can I manage?"

"Barely enough to boil water. That's enough to block some of the fairy's smaller attacks."

"Guess my training menu has just increased, then."

"Make sure you practice it properly. You should improve a little if you keep at it." Mokou releases my hands and starts walking back. "We're done. Go over to Eientei."

"Mokou." I call out to her, making the white-haired girl turn. "Thank you. Really."

"...you're welcome." She continues onward.

_Still not _dere_ yet. _(3) _But getting there._

* * *

><p>The decision I came to when Yukari first dropped me off at Eientei was to divide my time between Mokou and Kaguya. Honestly, I believed that Mokou's hatred of Kaguya was a bit hard to swallow; I mean, a thousand years for something that didn't even happen to you? Either Mokou was someone who had a father complex, or there was something else involved. With the intention to uncover what that was, I suggested my idea to Yukari and Kaguya.<p>

Kaguya doesn't hate Mokou at all; it's more of that 'Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' (4) thing in my opinion. In fact, it seems like she's quite pleased to have Mokou as an eternal 'enemy'. Somehow, I can imagine the circumstances that led to that way of thinking; never dying while everything else dies around you... you'd want at least _something_ to remain constant. Even if that means you get killed on a regular basis. Okayyyy... that last one was a bit screwed up. But it actually makes me wonder if they will ever end up loving each other the way some fan works present.

"Why not? I'd like to see Mokou's expression when she finds out." Kaguya said, smiling with a hint of sadistic pleasure.

"Then let's go see what she thinks of it." Yukari doesn't open a gap, so we ended up walking to Mokou's place.

They killed each other a few times before Mokou finally calmed down enough to hear us out. As expected, she refused at first, but Kaguya simply blew a hole in her chest, smiling all the while. But it looked to me like Kaguya was _happy_ to talk to Mokou, who didn't share the same sentiment. Still, when Kaguya asked again, she finally gave in. It wasn't easy getting her to talk at first, but the arrival of Keine later helped quite a bit.

_It might be impossible for me to affect something that's lasted over a thousand years, but I want to, and like Komachi said, that's all that matters._ I think to myself as I head in the direction of Eientei. _Though I'm hardly a Gary Stu; there's no way I can just snap my fingers and make them do as I say... Perish the thought!_

Snickering at the impossibility of that idea, I finally come into view of Eientei's architecture. A few youkai rabbits in their human forms spot me and wave, before dashing away randomly.

"Ah, Ikuto. You're earlier than I expected." Eirin greets me when I encounter her in the corridor. "Had your lunch?"

"Not yet. I was too busy training."

"Good timing then. We haven't had it either, so feel free to join us."

"You sure I shouldn't wash up first?"

"No point, you'll get sweaty again soon enough."

Kaguya, Reisen and Tewi are already there, and they are surprised to see me, though a bit of explanation clears things up right away. Kaguya seems particularly pleased though; I bet she's looking forward to tonight as usual, she always enjoys our time together very much, and so do I. Also, Reisen and Tewi are actually fun people to talk to, though it's hard to actually meet the latter outside of gatherings.

Reisen glances away when I look at her. "You're trying to look at my eyes again, Ikuto."

"No I'm not." I stare at her. "You're just beautiful as always."

"The princess isn't enough for you, Ikuto?" Eirin asks, "You even have to go for Udonge?"

"I'd thought I'd take a leaf from _your_ book." I clear my throat in silent apology to Kaguya. "Rabbits are the _lively_ kind, after all."

"You sure _Tewi's_ not the one for you?"

_Ooh, pedo accusation. How should I counter..._ "Hmm..." I buy time by pretending to blow on the rice to cool it down. _Damn, this one's tough. Wait, isn't Tewi like super old? No, I can't think of one that uses that... Ah!_ "Is that a recommendation you're making as a doctor that sees both _humans _and _youkai_?"

Eirin actually glares at me. "Not at all... it's just that I thought you might go for the type that's good at distracting you from the fact that that _head_ of yours will eventually grow _bald._"

_Woah, she took some time to think that one up, but it's pretty good how she used something that means 'old' to imply 'young'. _"Ah," I nod my head, "I think I get your point. But certainly, wouldn't it be better to just take things as they are? One should _loose_-n up a bit, right? A bowstring would _sag_ if you keep it too taut."

This time, she twitches violently. "Hmph... you have a point, but there are some things that you can't be so laid-back about. Like the laundry, for example, if you aren't careful, you'll end up with it becoming _small_ and _wrinkly_."

_She really doesn't like to lose._ _But we seem to be devolving to age barbs every time now._ "I'm sure a genius like you can whip up something to make them _big_ again if you put your _back_ into it and suck up the _pain_." I return cheerfully.

"Well, yes I can. But no matter I believe that _some things_ are meant to stay _tiny_."

"Really? I do too. It's a law of nature, like how humans develop _flab_ if they don't _exercise_ enough. Speaking of which," I tilt my head, "Mokou said she hasn't been leading many young people to Eientei lately." _And a finisher!_ "But I'm sure there's still a lot of youkai patients to keep you _busy_."

"..." Eirin seems to be struggling with herself. "You better finish your food quickly, we have a lot of work to do today."

_Ohmigod, did I actually do it? I finally managed to beat Eirin? _"Of course. Deliveries as usual?"

"A bit of ingredient gathering as well." Eirin adds, nodding. "And it will be hard, since the thing you asked for is ready."

"Oh, it is? Looking forward to see how it's like."

Next to me, Reisen breathes a sigh of relief as the verbal battle comes to an end. So far, it's kind of an unspoken agreement between me and Eirin to go through this at mealtimes, only when I start and end my stay at Eientei, so this is the third time, not counting the one we had when I first came. The basic rules as I understand them are: Eirin always starts (she's the host after all), all insults must be indirect, and no rematches once one of us surrenders. Still... I better go and 'apologize' to her afterwards.

"I'm always looking forward to these discussions." Kaguya confides to Tewi.

"Me too -usa."

* * *

><p>"So, how does this thing work again?" I touch the silver medallion on the belt around my waist and immediately feel the effect.<p>

"Just tap that stud whenever you want it on or off." Eirin explains. "Really, I'm surprised you knew that we have a gravity-reducing belt among our items from the moon."

"I just guessed. Thanks for modifying it for me."

"Tell me when you want to increase the degree and I'll take care of it for you." Eirin reassures. "Just be careful," She continues, "It will also increase the weight of anything you carry."

I stagger under the weight of the medicine box on my back. "Yeah... just... found that... out."

"Be quick, alright? But don't overdo it and hurt yourself."

"Sure..." I force my feet to move me to the door. "Eirin... thanks for letting me win that one."

"Mm. Now shoo." She turns back to her notes.

Reisen is already waiting for me outside. "Let's go, come on."

One of the ways I'm paying for the medicines Eirin gave me is to do these kind of jobs for Eientei. Reisen accompanies me most of the time, but I'm getting the hang of going around the houses to refill the medicines that are on consignment. Reisen doesn't say it, but she likes having me along because I know some of the people we visit, and also know enough to dumb down all the complicated information for the people in the village. Good thing I actually had that class in university as part of my training.

"Are you okay with the weight?" She asks me after our fourth street.

"Yeah... I'm fine..."

She reaches out and catches me when I stumble. "Wh- You're freezing!"

I was using Mokou's heat control skill to cool my body, and while it kept me from breaking out in a heavy sweat, it was mentally draining. Reisen quickly leads me over to a bench and sits me down on it, and I release the technique, letting my body return to its normal temperature.

"Are you sick?" She asks worriedly, and starts looking through the medicine box. "I think one of these medicines will help raise your body temperature."

"Reisen. I'm fine."

"No, you aren't! That kind of temperature isn't normal!"

I reach out and touch the closest part I can manage, which happens to be her ears. I've never touched them before, and they actually feel pretty soft and firm. It makes her jerk away in surprise; they must be very sensitive too.

"See? Normal temperature, right?"

Reisen rubs the part where I was touching. "But... how?"

"Mokou told me to train in controlling my body temperature a little." I take my own pulse; it's still going pretty fast, maybe I should tone it down a little. "But training two of them at the same time is a bit much, I guess."

"You're too reckless, Ikuto."

"Sorry." _She's right, a bit of a break might be good once in a while. I don't want to push myself too much and fall sick. _"How many more do we have left to go today?"

"Just..." She consults her notebook. "Kawakami-san, Nanahama-san and Miyama-san."

"Then let's go quickly... oof." I grunt as I take up the load of the medicine case again.

The youngest daughter of the first house, Kazuko, is an energetic girl that is always happy to see me when we meet in the village, and I share with her some sweets that I bought along the way. Funny, I wouldn't have done something like that in my own world at all. Also, I notice that Reisen smiles more when she sees the people she visits react happily. I ask her about it on our way back to Eientei.

"Say, you came from the moon, right?"

"Yes."

"So... what did you think of humans then?"

"We heard that they were a rough, barbaric people. But after coming here, " She turns to look at the village in the distance, "I realize that they are quite nice and friendly."

"That's good then, that you came to Gensokyo."

"Why?"

"Not all humans are as friendly as you think. Especially in the world outside."

"Really? What are they like?" Reisen asks curiously.

I face forward. "Whoops! Yukari-information ban! Can't talk about it!" I increase my pace.

"Come on, tell me!" Reisen follows in pursuit. "Hey!"

_I rather you don't know about that, Reisen. Actually, I think that Gensokyo and the Outside World are best separate. When the time comes for me to leave... I'm not sure if I'll want to._

* * *

><p>"No good -usa. You're just not good enough to catch me yet -usa." Tewi passes her judgment on me with her arms crossed.<p>

"Haa... Haa... Haa... yeah, I... figured... that out..." I lean back against the tree, panting hard.

"But you have guts -usa. In fact, I'm sure you can outrun most of the humans in the village by now -usa."

"That's... an improvement... I guess."

"Alright, Ikuto, go through the course again!"

I force myself to my feet. "Aye aye, leader."

My physical training is under Tewi, who wasted no time in getting her fellow rabbits to construct an obstacle course for me to use. They find it quite fun to see me run through it over and over, dodging their traps and jumping over obstacles. It's beyond tiring, but I'm actually starting to develop parkour skills by doing it, though I still can't get myself to do a proper flip.

"Mmm..." Tewi stares at me as I hurdle the last obstacle and stop before her. "I think I know what you need -usa. You need an actual threat."

"You want one of the rabbits to chase me?"

"No -usa." She shakes her head. "That won't be enough for you. You need to get a _really_ serious threat -usa, such as..."

"This isn't a joke, is it?" I ask on hearing what she suggests.

"Of course not -usa." Tewi grins at me. "So, are you up for it?"

I look at the sky to estimate the time. _At least two hours before sunset... might be enough._ "Okay, let's do this."

I enter Eientei and start searching. The first person I meet is Kaguya, and I apologize in advance in case I'm unable to make it for our session tonight. The next person I meet is Eirin, whom directs me over to the one I'm seeking with a bit of amusement when she hears what I'm about to do, saying that she will help administer the medicine afterwards.

"Reisen, I need your help to train."

"Dodging danmaku?"

I shake my head. "Kind of. I need someone to chase me through Tewi's obstacle course."

"Why do you need me?"

"I'll explain outside, if you're okay?" Seeing her nod, I lead the way to the start of the course.

"Okay, so I'm supposed to chase you through this thing because Tewi thinks a good threat will get you to improve faster?" Reisen asks in disbelief after she hears my explanation.

"It's actually logical if you think about it. Fighters can get months' worth of training in a few minutes of actual fighting, right?"

"I've never heard of that before."

_Argh, forgot she doesn't read manga or watch anime._ "Anyway, by doing this, I'll be able to improve faster than if I just run through it normally."

"If you say so. So, are we starting now?"

_Okay, time for the last step._ "Just one moment. I need to look in your eyes again."

She immediately refuses. "No. Why would you need that?"

_Because I won't be able to do the actual deed if I don't._ "Please? Just trust me on this. It will be very quick."

"...fine." We make eye contact for a few seconds, before she looks away. "So? What exactly is the reason for that?"

_Hmm, yeah, I can do it now. _"Okay, just turn around. I'm going to give a signal, then you can come and chase me." I look to the side to see Tewi give me a thumb up before hiding behind a bush. _If this fails, I'm going to get you for this, Tewi._

"What kind of signal?" Reisen asks suspiciously as she turns around.

"It's... very... simple..." I crouch down slowly and raise my hands.

"Wait, what are you- IKUTO!" Reisen shrieks.

The reason for her scream was because I just yanked her panties down to her knees and took off like hell itself was chasing after me. Tewi was right, this was one hell of a threat to get to come after me, though the idea to enrage her was my own. As I jump and dodge my way through the obstacle course, I can hear Reisen screaming in rage as she slowly closes in...

_Woah! She's already shooting danmaku! _I take a peek behind and see her taking aim. _Gah! Her shots are coming pretty close! This is one hell of an adrenaline rush!_

"IIIIIIIIKUUUUUUUTOOOOOO!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

_Hope I survive to see this training bear fruit._

* * *

><p>(1) Blah blah 'Touhou fans should already know this' blah.<p>

(2) First part of 'tsundere', It means the girl is being hostile and unfriendly.

(3) Second part of 'tsundere', it means when the girl is friendly and loving, etc.

(4) From the Code of Hammurabi.

I'm sure some of you know my tricks already and predicted that the person I was greeting was Mokou, but I bet no one expected a weekly rotational cycle of staying with each of them, or Iku to turn up at the Sanzu River!

So, which of the following did you think was the best?

A) Keine using her cleavage to prep unwary perverts for a head butt.

B) Ikuto managing to win Eirin in their verbal battle.

C) Ikuto's idea to get Reisen to chase after him.

The pacing should be speeding up soon, Ikuto has a lot to do if he wants to mend the relationship between Mokou and Kaguya before his time with them is up! And what sort of night sessions is he having with Kaguya?


	12. Chapter 11: To Tame A Phoenix Part 1

Exams are nearly over... that's when this story will take a lower rank on my list of priorities, and slow down in its rate of release.

* * *

><p>"Good evening, Ikuto."<p>

I bow slightly. "Evening, Kaguya-hime."

"Come on in." As always, she steps aside to allow me access to her room.

"So... where did I stop yesterday?" I take my seat on the cushion she already has in front of the table. "I have poor short term memory, especially with all the stuff Eirin makes me remember for her."

"You are working really hard." Kaguya took her own seat as well, her eyes dancing. "You deserve to be commended for your effort."

"Haha, thanks." _I'm still not used to getting praised by her, _I think to myself as I run my hand through my hair. "So... which story was I telling yesterday?"

"I believe you just started one about a green knight, but it got too late before you could continue."

_Ah yes, now I remember. _"Thanks for the reminder. So after the green knight's head was cut off..."

This is how I spend half of my evenings after dinner, telling Kaguya stories as much as I can recall, after which we discuss and compare them to other things. For someone who can't recall much of his notes without constant rewriting, I have a damn good memory for fantasy stories I read at least six years ago. As of now, I'm telling her stories about King Arthur and his knights, and it's going slower than I thought it would be. At first, when I started, my speech was halting and I kept having to pause, but bit by bit, I'm improving in keeping up the flow for increasingly longer periods, maybe with a bit of embellishment here and there...

"...and that's the end of that tale." I finish, inclining my head to Kaguya before picking up the cup of tea and drinking from it.

"These knights have such a different way of life compared to the samurai I know of."

"Yes, a samurai would kill himself as a way of preserving honor instead. It's probably due to a difference in religion and other beliefs." _Never really cared to think about the reason... it's hard to come up with explanations for her._

Kaguya turns to look at the lamps that illuminate the room. "The candles have gone low. I believe our time together has come to an end for today."

"Time always passes by quickly when you're engaged in something... though it doesn't seem to bother you much." I get up and head for the door. "Kaguya-hime, could I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it you wish to ask?"

"If Mokou was willing to get along with you, would you be able to do the same?" _Man, that's pretty direct._

For a few moments, she considers it. "I believe that might be possible, though I do not see how Mokou would ever consent to such a thing."

"Alright, thank you for the answer, and thank you for being such a wonderful audience as usual." I bow before I close the door.

_The possibility exists on Kaguya's end, so the main problem here is Mokou. Things don't look easy, and this weekly cycle may actually end up hindering my efforts. Four more days before I stay over at her place again. _Feeling a bit of pain in my back, I decide to apply Eirin's balm and go to sleep quickly. _There's someone waiting for me, after all._

* * *

><p>Hmm... where's Komachi? Normally she comes straight to meet me, but I've been waiting for a while and she still hasn't shown up. Could she be ferrying a soul to the other side? <em>I try to peer through the mist, but it's too thick for my vision to penetrate. <em>Guess there's no choice but to look around.

_"An atmosphere of stiffness, difficult to penetrate, it is not what I came here expecting."_

_"Nagae-san? Is that you?" I look around trying to find the source of that gentle voice._

_Iku floats down to land in front of me. "Yes. It is good to meet you again. However, it appears that the cheerful mood that I observed before will not be possible."_

_"Why?"_

_"The unbreakable law of distinction creates an uncomfortable air that I would prefer to avoid."_

Ah, now I get it. Shikieiki's here, and Komachi's probably getting lectured. _"Then I suppose it can't be helped... have you been here long?"_

_Iku shakes her head. "I had barely arrived before I noticed your friend in the company of her superior, and chose to look around for you."_

_"Well... thanks, I suppose?"_

_"Certainly, it is difficult to form the close bond of friendship with someone you barely know." She made the observation as though it didn't concern her._

_"Ah, no no! I didn't mean that you were a bother or anything!" I quickly wave my hands to stop that train of thought. "Everything has to start from somewhere, you just have to give it a chance."_

_"Yes, you are right to say so. But I am sure that the relationship between you and the shinigami was mainly due to her overly familiar character."_

_"You don't have to have that sort of character to be friends with someone." I point out. "There are a lot of factors that are involved."_

_Iku nods. "A great deal of them."_

She's quite resistant about providing her opinions... How should I get her to open up? _"If you don't mind, could you tell me about how life is like where you're from?"_

_She studies me with a bit of surprise. "Are such things of interest to you?"_

_"Yes, actually. Especially that Eldest Daughter of yours; you don't seem to think much of her, but you must know her quite well." _Plus I might find out a bit more about that girl.

_"If that is what you wish to hear about, then I shall tell you."_

_She gives an account of stuff that I already know, like the fact that she sometimes brings messages from the Dragon Palace to the world below, though most of the time she simply stays among the clouds, observing life in the land below for signs of impending disasters, to which she reacts by going around spreading the news._

_"I have known the Eldest Daughter for quite a while. She is, to put it simply, selfish."_

_"That reminds me," I lift a finger as though I just recalled something, "What about that human you were looking for?"_

_"I was unable to locate him in the Netherworld, but as the Eldest Daughter appeared to have forgotten about him when I returned to above the skies, I saw no reason to tell her."_

Oh yeah, thanks for doing that. No need to stir up the hornets' nest. _"Will you still look for him? Excuse me for saying this, but if I were you, I'd probably just give it up because it's too troublesome."_

_"I believe a time will come when the Eldest Daughter will remember what she asked for, and when that time comes, I will resume my search." Iku folded her hands together. "You seem relieved to hear that."_

_"Huh? Well yeah, because this Tenshi girl, she causes earthquakes, right? It'd be bad for Gensokyo if she throws a fit."_

_"Your mindset really does differ from other humans." Iku stares at me. "Most humans would not say 'Gensokyo', but 'us'."_

Crap, should have just stopped at 'it'd be bad'. _"They do?"_

_"..."_

Uh, did she figure it out already? _I return her gaze with my most curious and innocent look._

_Iku sighs. "I finally comprehend the reason for the atmosphere I observed three days past."_

Yep, she did. _"Sorry."_

_"There is no need to apologize. The fault lies with me for having not noticed it back then. Perhaps I have grown too used to observing the state of the land and not the state of humans."_

_"It just takes practice. So, will you tell Tenshi about me?"_

_"You seem like you have no wish to remind her, and so I will not."_

_"Thank you, Nagae-san." _Better say something to make sure she doesn't think too badly of me. _"It would be bad of me to force a friend to do something she wouldn't want to."_

_"Yet the atmosphere between us is still stiff and formal." Iku turns to face inland._

_"Maybe it's because we are still talking to each other like acquaintances." I suggest uncomfortably. "I dislike the breaking of harmony with others, so I usually treat them formally. But if you wish, I could call you by your name and you could do the same with me?"_

_"Indeed, that might be the case. Then, you may call me Iku."_

Don't think about the other meaning of her name. _"Nice to meet you, Iku. Call me Ikuto then."_

_"You truly are an odd human, Ikuto."_

_"That would sound kind of insulting if I heard it from anyone else but you."_

_"Then what would you consider it if it came from me?" Iku asks curiously._

_I shrug. "Just a comment, maybe. Actually, if I think about it," I imagine the scenarios. "It's probably the norm for me, seeing as I'm an outsider here. So I shouldn't take it as an insult at all."_

_"An outsider, you say. Yet you have the skills to integrate yourself amongst others with ease."_

Oddly, that _really_ would sound like an accusation if it came from anyone else but her. _"That's just the general description of people who came from the Outside World. It has nothing to do with whether they have the skills or not."_

_"Such a distrustful outlook to hold."_

_I stare at Iku. "Were you actually _making_ a joke just now?"_

_"The spirit of a joke is often shared by one, or it is shared by many."_

_I laugh at that. "You really did! I don't know if it's meant to be some sort of revenge for hiding the fact that I'm the one you were looking for, but that was brilliantly done!"_

_She curtseys in acknowledgment, murmuring, "You are too kind." in reply._

_"Haa... that was harsh..." Komachi approaches. "Hey, Ikuto, Iku. Oh..."_

_I realize the implications of what she just said at the same time she does, and turn to ask Iku, "Were there two of you?" _(1)

_"The possibility of twins where only one is present, it would be simply nonsense, enjoyed by children." Iku counters with one of her usual saying-like sentences._

_"True, but sometimes, it's these small, simple things that build up the mood really well."_

_"Yeah," Komachi adds, nodding, "You have to enjoy the little pleasures in life when they happen."_

_"So... Iku, have you found the person you said you were looking for?" I ask casually._

_"..." She smiles lightly before replying, "The human that the Eldest Daughter seeks is clearly in the Netherworld, though I have yet to locate him."_

_"In that case," Komachi interrupts, "You should hang around here some more! That would be interesting, wouldn't it?"_

_"Indeed it would. In addition, I must confess that I find the mood here quite enticing. Would it really be possible for me to be a part of it?"_

_"Don't need to be so reserved!" Komachi slaps Iku's back. "Come down anytime you like!"_

_"Komachi, you seem kind of lively for someone who just got lectured."_

_"Ahh~ Yeah, but you know, when I've got this chance to blow off steam, I'm going for it full tilt!"_

_"Such a curious reaction to observe from a shinigami. While I would wish to continue observing this cheerful scene, I must make my way back."_

_"Going already?" Komachi asks disappointedly._

_"It is not a permanent departure, but a temporary one. Though I may not be able to return every three days, I shall endeavor to come whenever it is possible."_

There it is as usual_. "I have to go too... too bad we didn't manage to talk enough this time, Komachi."_

_She grins and lies down. "We'll talk again next time, won't we? See ya, you two."_

* * *

><p>"All right, we're done for today." Reisen announces, once we leave the last house. "Let's go back."<p>

"Yeah..." I pant, feeling the upgraded weight of the gravity belt. "Can we... take a break... along the way?"

"..." She studies me carefully. "...oh, alright. There's a sweets shop up ahead where we can buy something back for Master and the princess."

"Thanks..."

Reisen finally forgave me two days after that 'panties-sing' incident, which I barely survived by evading her for hours past sunset, though it took a lot of apologizing and bribes. Still, her attitude towards me is cooler than it originally was. Maybe I need to interact with her more outside of these jobs. As for the obstacle course chasing, I no longer need to do that to get her enraged, since simple memory works just fine. Hmm, now that we're in the Bamboo Forest, I should try talking to her.

"So..." _Gah, my mind just blanked on conversation topics! Not the weather, anything but the weather!_ "Uhh... have you ever resolved any incidents like Reimu does?"

"Incidents?" Reisen ponders my question, trying to recall. "I recall there was a time when all of the flowers here bloomed, and then there was that strange weather."

_Okay, that kind of weather talk counts. _"Yeah, I heard about the second one. You managed to resolve it?"

"I didn't really do anything then. The Celestial girl was already beaten up when I took her on."

"But you still managed to defeat a Celestial? That's amazing, isn't it?"

"It's not as-" Reisen suddenly yelps.

I look around to see what happened to her, but there was no sign of her usual purple hair and bunny ears. _Wait, I think I hear some moaning... oh yeah, _I look down, and sure enough, Reisen was down at the bottom of a pitfall trap. _I was wondering when Tewi would make this happen._

"You okay?" I crouch down and extend my hand. "Here, you probably can fly, but..."

"Thanks..." Reisen reaches out and grabs onto it. "Really, that Tewi..."

I pull her out easily, despite the feeling of her weight being increased by the belt. "You sound used to it."

"Just when I thought she'd grown out of it, this happens." The moon rabbit dusts herself off before checking through the medicine case she carried. "Oh good, Master's medicines are safe."

_Hmm, could this be a chance? _"Say," I look around checking for Tewi before leaning close. "You want to try catching Tewi so you can get her back for this?"

Reisen looked surprised to hear it, but she breaks into a grin a few seconds later.

* * *

><p>"Leader, I want to try chasing you once more!" I ask Tewi afterwards, during my training.<p>

"You want to test how much you've improved -usa?" She thinks about it. "Alright then -usa. What about Reisen?"

"I told her not to come today." I start loosening up a little. "And I'm going to be serious today."

"Oho?" Tewi seems to be interested now that she heard me say that. "How serious is serious -usa?"

I deactivate the belt, removing the hundred-eighty percent weight increase, and take out the key. "All out, Tewi. All out."

"Looks like I'm goin' to get a challenge today -usa." She comments, hopping off the rock she sat on. "You guys," She turned to the youkai rabbits nearby, "No interference -usa."

They nodded and hopped away, until only the two of us are left in the clearing near Eientei.

I start the challenge. "Ready..."

Tewi takes off immediately. "GO!" She shouts back after a second.

_Phantom Blossom, lend me your power for this!_ I kick off hard, running after her. _I lost sight of her within ten seconds when I first started with only my own power. But now,_ I use one hand to leapfrog a big rock that Tewi easily leaps over, _I'm actually catching up pretty fast, and my body feels so light!_

The initial part of the chase is in a different direction from the obstacle course, so what I face first are natural obstructions and landforms, like a tall ledge that I scale by jumping off its wall and rebounding off a nearby bamboo, and an area with lots of rocks among the trees, forcing me to zigzag my way through them and lose some distance to Tewi, who simply clears the obstacles with greater ease than I do.

_No way I could do that when they're too far apart for me._ I think to myself as I turn around another stone to see the rabbit hop down from the last one and dash towards the left. _She's going into an area I haven't been in yet... have to be careful._

Tewi's bounding run covers lots of distance, and it's clearly less draining on her than my high-speed dash does. I spot her simply leap across a wide stream instead of using the bamboo bridge nearby, and quickly head for the bridge.

_WOAH! Something tells me not to use that! _Reacting quickly to the suspicious indentation in the center of the bridge, I put all my power into a jump, twisting my body into a flip for more distance. _Oh yeah! I did it! But it's only one time though... _

Where is... there! A corner of a pink dress vanishing into the thicket of bamboo. I cut straight for her, using the skills I developed to keep my turns tight and efficient, burning the distance between us down again. Then I lose sight of her once more, when she goes down an incline that leads into a rock formation that is barely wide enough for her to go through comfortably.

_Crap, I don't know where that leads, but if I try to go through that, she'll gain too much of a lead! Wait..._ I look up, noticing that the rocks widen the higher they go. _Now I feel like Sonic the Hedgehog, doing something like... THIS!_

I dig my feet into the hard surface of the rock on the right, running up it and along the incline at least six feet off the ground, as Phantom Blossom warms in my grip while I borrow its power for this burst of ninja movement. The rock passage curves to the left, and I bend further forward to avoid the other side of the passage as it narrows slightly, before the passage suddenly ends, and I hit the ground rolling out of reflex.

_Oh good, didn't lose too much time due to that. In fact, I'm even closer now. _I take off after Tewi once more, but this time I focus on controlling my temperature as well. _I'm starting to overheat already, and it's only been a few minutes of nonstop sprinting. Wait, why did Tewi stop?_

"Hey human~! You better hurry up~!"

Suddenly, the ground gives way beneath my feet, and if not for my right hand automatically thrusting out in reflex, causing Phantom Blossom to catch onto a nearby tree, I would have fallen into Tewi's trap instead of being swung around to the side and onto safer ground. She bursts into laughter, telling me how lucky I was to avoid her trap by that much.

_Oh man! Thanks for that save, Youmu. _I pat the weapon, and study the ground ahead. _Everything looks fine, but seeing as Tewi led me here, I'm willing to bet that this place is littered with pitfalls. One more time, Phantom Blossom, I'll need your help._

One of the obstacles in the course Tewi built for me consisted of spaced out lengths of bamboo forming steps, which I was supposed to cross by jumping from one to the next. It really hurt when my foot slipped, resulting in me falling and hitting my chest on them, but I stuck through it until I managed to perfect my balance. The current situation is slightly different, but my abilities have been boosted to deal with it.

_Hup. Hup. Hup. Hup._ I use the bamboo trunks, heading for Tewi in a series of jumps and swings with Phantom Blossom supporting me on the ones that aren't very straight. _Now you run, little rabbit. I'm coming to get you!_

"Pretty good, Ikuto! You really are going all out today -usa!" Tewi calls back over her shoulder. "How about a practice test after the field test -usa?"

She jumps down another ledge, leading the way into the obstacle course. The one we're entering is the fourth one, where I'm supposed to run across a single length of bamboo while swing traps try to knock me off. As Tewi skips across, she flicks out danmaku to trigger the traps, sending tied up bundles of wood to obstruct my path.

"I've got a weapon today! This isn't going to stop me!"

I smack them away and continue after Tewi, planting my feet in the right position to ensure perfect balance as I run along the bamboo. Next is the fifth obstacle, one that trains precision in jumping with small wood squares mounted on increasingly higher poles, so they are more liable to shake the further the runner progresses. Once again, she lengthens the gap between us by taking them two at a time.

_It's really tough when your target has better physical abilities than you do._ I'm reminded of the time I tried chasing Aya around. She could probably catch Tewi within ten seconds if she was really trying. _So I just have to outthink her._

Reaching the top before I does, Tewi uses a single stick between two ropes to slide down quickly. If one side goes too fast, the stick will slip off and fall down. So far, I haven't fallen yet, but only because I kept doing it carefully. This time, I use the Keyblade on only one of the ropes, so I go down a lot quicker than before. It's a straight run before we reach the next obstacle, and that's when I take the chance to put on a burst of speed.

_Ten meters... Eight... Five... Two..._ "Hey... Tewi!" I pant out, feeling the fatigue.

"What -usa?" She turns around and calls back, smirking at me as she continues to run.

"Uhh..." _Wow, I forgot what I wanted to say. _"Has Reisen... ever caught you...?"

_Look at her running without looking where she's going... she really does know this place. _"No way -usa!"

"Why?"

"Ya gotta plan -usa!"

_Like this? _"Shouldn't you... look... where you're... going?" I gasp.

"Haha! That's right, the next one's coming up -usa!" Tewi puts on more speed and slips out of my range.

Reisen fades into view as she dispels the illusion hiding her, her right hand already forming the shape of a gun as she takes aim from up ahead. Before Tewi can react to her sudden appearance, she unleashes a straight shot right into Tewi's forehead, sending the youkai rabbit's body flying forward feet first with the sudden momentum change, until she comes crashing to a stop against the first hurdle fence of the seventh obstacle.

I release the Keyblade, slowing down to a walk as I pass Reisen, and tap the unconscious bunny on the shoulder.

"Gotcha." Then I turn and high-five Reisen, who's wearing a grin to mirror mine.

* * *

><p>"Uuu... Whuh?" I hear Tewi mumble as she wakes up later from where I'm carrying her on my back. "What happened -usa? What's this bandage doing on my head?"<p>

"I caught you." Jerking my head to my left, I continue, "Reisen helped to put that bandage."

"Wait... I remember now..." She hits me on the back of my head. "Ya sly dog! You got Reisen to help!"

I laugh, "Yeah, that's my way of getting serious."

She chuckles in reply. "You're really interesting, Ikuto. But you won't catch me this way next time -usa."

I nod. "I take my wins where I can get them, even if they're one-off things. That's enough for a human like me. Don't you agree, Reisen?"

"I'm not a human, you know." The moon rabbit points out, ever the voice of reason.

"Ah, sorry. I'm saying stuff without thinking again."

"So, Ikuto, now that you caught me, do you want me to bring you good luck -usa?"

_Actually, I think I'm pretty lucky already... wait, there is something I _can_ use that good luck for._ "Can I ask for it at a later time? There's something really important I'd like to save it for."

Tewi harrumphs. "Normally I won't allow that sort of request -usa. But since you asked so nicely, I'll listen to it this time -usa!"

"Thanks. Oh, we're finally back at Eientei."

Eirin's standing there waiting for us. "So, it looks like you managed to catch her. I trust my assistant did her job well?" She asks dryly.

_As always, the genius has everything figured out already. Of course, she wouldn't be a genius if she couldn't. _"Perfectly, I must say. So-"

"Let me down first -usa." Tewi interrupts.

"Oops, sorry." I do so, and she dashes off without another word. "So, Eirin, I guess my training's done for today, that means it's the usual?"

"Yes, go wash up before you come, though. You too, Udonge." Eirin walks off after giving us our instructions.

"Yeah... the usual pattern as always." I tug on Reisen's sleeve. "Come on, let's get it over with quick."

I send her into the bath first as courtesy, spending the time alternating the practicing the form switching of my Keyblade and practice swings, when I hear her call out to me.

"Ikuto, are you there?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you go along with Yukari Yakumo's plan?"

_I think I recall her asking me something like that when we first met. _"I was curious at first."

"At first? Then now?"

"I'm still curious, but also, Yukari hasn't done anything directly harmful, and I'm also enjoying my time here." _Cut. _I take another swing.

"That doesn't sound like you."

"What doesn't?" I ask, having a feeling I know what she's referring to.

"You're smart, you think through a lot of things, and come up with good plans, like how we got Tewi today. But you're going along with Yukari Yakumo's idea just because of those reasons?"

"That's me." I swing again, switching the forms at least five times before the arc is completed. "I'm full of contradictions."

I freeze. _Why the hell did I tell her that? I've always kept that to myself! _To me, that is a personal tenet of my character that I never divulged to anyone before.

"Contradictions... that hardly sounds like you."

_Ah, I think I know why... craziness tends to follow the source, perhaps._ "How else could I look into your eyes without going crazy?"

"Are you telling me that you're going along with Yukari because... you're crazy already?"

I facepalm. "Yes... you could say that..."

The door slides open, and Reisen stands there in a fresh set of clothes, which almost resemble the one she was wearing, if not for the lack of a jacket. "Then again, if you can fall in love with a half-ghost, I can see why."

"Are you insulting me?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm just starting to get an idea of what kind of a person you are. Hurry up, or Master will get mad at us."

_Huh, was that smile as she said that the 'I'm just being polite' kind, or did it have some other meaning? _"Yes, yes." I enter the bathroom and close the door behind me.

I quickly go through all the motions of a quick shower, before dressing in the spare clothes that are already prepared and finally exit the bath so I can join Eirin in her pharmacy.

The other half of how spend my evenings is to help Eirin in mixing up medicines that are meant for the consignments, or those that are meant for the more uncommon illnesses. Labeling, sorting, arranging, those are some of the other tasks that I handle along with Reisen. Of course, I have to ask Eirin for help sometimes, and I don't handle diagnosing patients, so it feels like I'm just an odd job worker. Of course, I try my best not to disappoint, so I study whatever she gives me to recall, making sure I can do a perfect job. There isn't much of a clash between what is taught here and what I learned before, so things are going quite smoothly.

By the way, there is the matter of doping...

* * *

><p>"Udonge, could you get me that box up there?" Eirin seemed busy as she added some drops of this and that into the bowl she was mixing.<p>

"Ah, that one? Right away, Master."

The instant Reisen turned away, Eirin reached over and dripped something into the cup the rabbit was about to drink from, and returned to her original work before Reisen turns back. The look she gave me kept me silent, and I apologized to Reisen mentally for being unable to do anything to stop her from being a test subject. Though nothing visible happened, Eirin seemed to be pleased by something she observed in Reisen.

From then on, I always made sure not to leave anything I am about to drink from near Eirin if I wasn't around to watch it.

* * *

><p>"Alright, you two, go take a break, we're done for today." Eirin tells me and Reisen tiredly after a long, nerve-wracking 'RPG item creation' process.<p>

"I'll go make some tea." With that, Reisen leaves the room.

"Need a shoulder massage?" I offer impulsively.

"Mm... I'll take you up on that." She moves around in her chair and shifts her braid so her back's exposed to me, and I get to work. "Huh, you're rather good at this."

"Yuyuko bullied me into doing this for her sometimes, though I haven't had practice since leaving the Netherworld." I tell her by way of explanation. "Don't you get Reisen to do this for you?"

"Udonge? Nah, she's not used to giving massages, so I don't ask her for this." Eirin twists her neck and moans, somewhat erotically. "Ohhh yes, that's good..."

_I don't know if she's doing that on purpose._ "Glad to know I'm doing a good job."

"A bit harder there..."

"Like this?" I tentatively increase the force; her body feels so small under my hands.

"Mmm... yes, that's just right..." She leans forward and rests her head on her arms. "Keep going..."

"No problem." A few minutes pass. "Not too hard, is it?"

"Zzz..."

_Woah, she's asleep!_ "Uh, Eirin?" I ask softly, still continuing the massage.

"...mm..."

_Guess she's really tired. _I beckon to Reisen, who's just entered with a tray with cups on it. "Let's help her back to her room."

As we lead a drowsy Eirin out of the pharmacy, Reisen whispers to me, "You know, Master really likes having you around, Ikuto."

"Me? I thought she treats me rather coolly."

"She talks to you as much as she does to the princess, maybe more."

I shake my head. "I thought that's just part of having a professional relationship."

"No, she really does like you." Reisen insists, as we reach Eirin's room.

"And so do you, Udonge." Eirin suddenly speaks up, scaring the hell out of both of us. "Mm... I better get some sleep. Night, Udonge, Ikuto."

We stare at the door as she closes it behind her, then at each other. Reisen suddenly turns red, and runs off down the corridor. I spend a few more seconds just looking back and forth between the two locations; how the hell am I suppose to react to this? Is it as friends? Or as...

_Sleep. Just sleep. _My logical self advises. _Your time here is far from over, your decision can wait till later._

"Good night, Eirin, Reisen." I say before heading back to my own room.

* * *

><p>(1) 'to' in Japanese means 'and', so what Komachi said can be taken as 'Iku &amp; Iku'. Lame joke, as Iku observed, but the Sanzu River pair are such childish people...<p>

This chapter was a little tough to write... But I think it should get easier now that I'm past the tough part of building up the relationships. But I feel like I've just taken the easy way out.


	13. Chapter 12: To Tame A Phoenix Part 2

**My exams have ended. Much to catch up on, thus the update speed shall be slowed. Pretty cruel to do this when things are coming to a climax. XD**

* * *

><p>"Boss?" I call out as I enter the store. "You in there?"<p>

"Oh, Ikuto!" The heavyset man emerges from a door that leads deeper into the place, greeting me with a jovial voice. "Haven't seen you for a while!"

"I'm not always doing deliveries, you know." Taking a seat at the counter, I reach over and shake his hand. "How's the wife?"

"Himeko-chan's doing fine! She'll be back in no time! And who's this?"

"This is Youmu, she's the girl I'm seeing." I introduce my blushing date.

The man managing this inn was the last outsider who chose to stay in this village before I did. From what I know, he came at least twenty years ago, but decided not to travel back for reasons he didn't share. Anyway, he's established himself pretty well in the village, running a bar that doubles as an inn... that mainly sees two types of clientele, outsiders, and couples. Due to his wide connections to most of the village, he's like the go-to guy for small jobs and stuff, which is one of the reasons why everyone just calls him Boss. I got to know him when I delivered some pain-relief meds for his wife.

I'm on my fourth week with Mokou now, and sometimes, I play the more accessible guide to Eientei if someone leaves a request with Boss. It seems kind of unethical to take money for something that Mokou does for free, but of course, she's not always easy to find. Other times, I take on delivery jobs to earn a bit of extra income. The reason for that is also the reason I came for today.

"Ah, so this is the lucky girl, huh?" Boss digs below the counter. "Yep, here's the thing you asked for!" He sets a box on the counter in front of us and opens it.

"Ikuto! It's beautiful." Youmu breathes.

What's in the box is a small brooch that I saw but was unable to buy at that time due to a lack of cash, and the jeweler didn't take credit, so I asked Boss to help me get it first. Certainly, the white and pink gems arranged in the shape of a flower reminded me so strongly of Youmu that I had to get it.

"Here's the payment we agreed on," I put the cloth pouch filled with money on the wood counter, "You aren't going to count it?" I ask when he simply tucks it into his pocket.

"I know I can trust you. Go on," Boss gestures towards Youmu, "Put it on for her."

_Where should I... ah, her hair ribbon._ Youmu holds still while I affix the brooch to the black ribbon, where it stands out. "I picked a brooch because I didn't want it to interfere in case you had to fight."

"Thank you, Ikuto." Youmu hugs me around the waist.

Boss clears his throat. "Fight? A sweet girl like this?"

"Geez, Boss, you didn't notice the swords?"

"Ah, sorry. I was more taken with her cuteness."

"You better not let your wife hear you say that." I warn.

"Beautiful women are to be appreciated!" He declares.

"Yes, yes. Anyway, thanks for the help. I have to be going now."

"Got it! You two have fun on your date now!" He waves as we leave. "And Ikuto! Drop by once you're done, I've got a job for you!"

My time in the world of the living is much more fast-paced than it was in Hakugyokurou. I've met nearly all of the others that are related to the Human Village, even the more reclusive ones like Alice and Sanae, though the time I spent interacting with them is relatively short. Usually, this only happens when I'm staying with Mokou, because I'm usually too busy when I'm residing at Eientei. And Mokou always prefers to be left alone, though I'm gradually starting to increase our time together.

However, every time Youmu comes, I make sure that I'm free to spend time with her, no matter whom I'm staying with. It's clear to some of the others that we're in a relationship, but somehow, it doesn't seem like that prevents them from interacting with me as usual. Marisa and Suika are prime examples of that, and Youmu doesn't appear to mind, though I make sure to pay attention to her. Even though there's also someone else now...

"What's this? A date?" Aya's voice comes from above.

Speaking of Aya, she tracked me down to Mokou's house during the third week there. By then, I'd already burned through my past irritation with her, so it wasn't too bad, especially since she stuck to the 'no interviews until the end' deal. However, she exploited a loophole...

"So, Youmu, what do you think of the gift your boyfriend gave you?"

That's right, our deal was only to not interview _me_. But the people around me were still fair game to her. And I couldn't do a thing about it, since I was the one who named the terms, not unless we renegotiated the conditions, and I bet she'll tack on some outrageous demand in exchange.

_Most of the people around are distancing themselves from us. Tengu reputation, probably._ "Aya-san, give it a rest, will you? At least show some consideration and ask _afterwards._"

"Oh come on! Just a bit of juicy info, how about it?"

I step between them. "Aya-san, please. You..." _Wait, I remember Rinnosuke saying something about this._ "It's the tengu newspaper competition, isn't it?"

"Yes! That's why I need some good articles!"

_Grr... no wonder she's more overbearing than usual._ "Did you ask Reimu about her recent trip to the underground? I hear she and Satori had a fight."

"That's not as interesting as what's taking place right now!"

Youmu's drawing her sword. "Ikuto, please move aside."

"Ayaya~" The tengu tucks away her notebook and grabs her fan.

"Stop it, you two. Don't fight in the village." I look at Aya. "When exactly is the competition?"

"It's starting next month."

_Already? Damn, how should I handle that..._ "Look, either you can waste precious time trying to get stuff out of Youmu, or you can go talk to someone else first and come back later. I can tell you for sure that there's no way we're going to say anything right now."

Aya gives me a calculating look. "...if that's what you say, then I don't have any choice, do I? Fine then, I'll come back later."

I sigh as she takes off, and look at Youmu when the half-ghost pulls on my sleeve. "Good thing she backed off then, I have no idea what to do if she hadn't."

"Thank you, Ikuto. I think she only did so because you asked politely without losing your temper."

Taking her hand in mine, we resume walking again. "It's natural to protect the one you love, right? And about Aya... that's probably because she's just a tengu."

The rest of our time together passes uneventfully, with the usual promise to meet up the next time she comes when it's time for her to leave. After a light lunch, I head out of the village and make my way to Reimu's shrine.

Similar to my visits to the village, I only visit the shrine when I'm staying with Mokou. The last time I went, I had a grill cookout with Marisa, Reimu and Suika, with me providing the meat, Marisa providing the mushrooms and the griller, Reimu the vegetables, and Suika, of course, the sake. Pretty fun time that was.

"Yo, Reimu, Suika." I greet the two girls.

"Hey there~" The drunk oni waves at me without moving from her side-lying position.

"Want some tea? Marisa just left." Reimu stares at me hopefully.

_Probably because I do this every time. _I think to myself as I drop a few coins into her donation box. "No, I'm fine. I'm not staying long. Another all night round of drinking, Suika?"

"Of course~" She takes another swig from her gourd.

"Really, this oni is just hopeless." Reimu sighs.

"I like her though." I grin while tugging gently on a lock of Suika's orange hair.

"Ehehe~" Suika raises her gourd into the air. "We should have another party~"

"No! I still haven't cleaned up the mess from the one we had!" Reimu snaps.

"You had a party here? I didn't know." _Probably because no one comes to invite you when you're living in the Bamboo Forest._

"I brought them together." Suika lies on her back and sticks her hands up. "Parties are fun~"

"Sounds like you did a drinking game."

She lets her hands fall out to the sides. "Ah ha~ thanks for teaching me that~"

"Just don't put too simple a condition so you can drink all the time." I poke her nose, and she tries to bite my finger.

"RRAarr... ya woke the scary oni!" She grabs my arm and nibbles on my finger.

I look at Reimu, who has an exasperated smile as she watches me play around with the oni. "What?" I ask, feeling Suika's warm, small tongue around my finger as she gnaws lightly.

"I was just thinking you adapt to Gensokyo very well."

"Maybe it has to do with how much I like this place?" As I reply, I poke Suika's marshmallow-like cheek with my other hand. "Tickle~"

The oni giggles when I run my finger underneath her chin, and releases me. "It also has to do with how much people like you too." Sitting up, she turns around, crawls closer to me and pokes my cheek. "You would have been abducted by onis if you lived long ago."

I pay back her bite. "Oh 'eally?"

"Maybe I should abduct you?" Suika grins.

"Okay, okay, enough playing around." Reimu taps both of us on the head with her gohei. "If you're not going to help me clean, then please leave." The way she's smiling as she says that takes most of the bite out of her words.

"Alright, I have to go do some work." Sticking my finger in my mouth, I taste the remnants of sake on it. "Oh yeah, what about that matter with Tenshi?"

"I've reinforced my shrine again, but I won't actually do anything unless she causes another earthquake. Thanks for the warning."

"Not at all, it's just something I heard from a friend. I'll be going then."

"See ya, Ikuto~" Suika mumbles from her splayed flat position.

_It's so easy to forget that she's an oni when she's like that. Still,_ I rub my arm, _that strength is no joke. Better go see what's the job Boss has for me._ On my way back to the village, I finally get the rock down to a quarter of its original height.

* * *

><p>"Ah, it's actually a simple delivery job." Boss hands me a slip of paper with the request's details. "Their usual deliveryman's not well, and none of the others want to do this."<p>

I scan the paper. "I can see why. Not many people here actually want to visit that place."

"You're one of those I can think of who do."

"Oh well. I'll take it. The goods I have to deliver are at the store this time?"

Boss nods. "It's quite a big load."

"Alright. I'll head straight back home afterwards, so see you some other day."

"Will do."

At the furniture store, the shop owner thanks me profusely and shows me to a handcart loaded with chairs and tables. I try to lift it up at first, but the weight is too much. Turns out it's actually quite light once I turned off the belt, which made me feel a bit stupid.

I didn't see any sign of Cirno on my way to the destination, nor did I encounter any youkai, probably because I've beaten down another three since the time I met Cirno. Speaking of that ice fairy, I met her two more times, and she's been improving constantly, even forcing me to switch to my right to deal with some of her new attacks. Of course, when I've had enough, I feign defeat, and leave with her celebrating... and me laughing afterwards.

The bridge tiles are a bit uneven, so I have to struggle a little to control the cart. But eventually, I reach the island it connects to... and the Scarlet Devil Mansion. At this range, I can see that it's actually quite big, though the inside is reputed to be even bigger. And up ahead, next to the gates, is a human figure, slumped on a chair with a nodding head.

_Hong Meiling. It's my first time seeing her,_ I think to myself as I look at that flowing red hair and green clothes, _she's actually... pretty good looking. Though the drool is..._ I smirk as an idea pops into my head.

She doesn't wake up when I approach, so I can leave the cart nearby while I crouch next to her.

_Let's see, what was the name again? Ah yeah. _"Taisui Xingjun is coming!" I whisper softly in Chinese.

"Huh? Wha-? Taisui Xingjun?" She mumbles, "You're back again? I will beat you as many times as it takes..."

"What nonsense are you speaking, Meiling? It's me, Sakuya." I switch to Japanese to say.

"Hah... I know you're a fake..." Meiling shifts her body slightly, "You're just another youkai sent by the Taisui Xingjun!"

"Meiling," I'm totally making stuff up about Sakuya's character here. "You're a wonderful gatekeeper, but if you don't stop this, I'll get mad."

"Huh? I am?" She snorts in her sleep. "No, you're a fake for sure! The real Sakuya doesn't have a chest that-"

A knife flashes past my eyes and sinks into Meiling's head. "Excuse me, may I know who you are and what you're doing with our gatekeeper?" A clear, cool voice asks from the side.

"Oh, Izayoi-san, is that you?" I look at the chief maid of the mansion, adrenaline still running through my veins. "I came with the furniture you ordered. As for what I'm doing," I glance at the twitching figure next to me. "I was trying to wake her up. By the way, is it really okay to do that to her?"

"Hm." Sakuya stares at me for a while before tucking the knife in her hand away and shifting the bag she carried around in her arms. "She's a youkai, so she will recover soon enough."

"Okay. So... do you need me to bring the cart in?"

She blinks. "Oh, Ikuto, I didn't realize it was you. What are you doing delivering the furniture?"

"The usual guy couldn't come, and apparently I'm the only one that's willing to come." I walk over to the cart and lift up the handle. "Do I bring it in?"

"If you don't mind." Sakuya nods at me and leads the way into the mansion, but pauses to pull the knife out of Meiling. "Don't sleep on the job!"

"Ow ow ow~ I'm sorry, Sakuya-san." Meiling clutches the part that was stabbed and whimpers. "Who's that?"

"The furniture deliveryman. I'm bringing him in." Without waiting for a reply, the maid passes through the gate.

"Hello." I greet Meiling as I walk past.

"Hello..." She responds curiously, but doesn't stop me.

Sakuya leads me around to the back, where there's a ramp for me to pull the cart up and into the mansion. Instantly, I can tell the difference in space between the interior and the exterior, as the hallway extends further than the distance I walked along the outside.

"This way." Sakuya shows me into a storeroom, and directs me to unload the furniture.

"Excuse me, Izayoi-san?" I ask her halfway through the job.

"Yes?"

"Did Remilia ever ask about me?"

"My lady?" She frowns for a moment as she thinks. "She did mention she was curious to know the sort of person you were, but didn't say anything more than that."

"So... should I go and say hi or something?"

"My lady will be asleep at this time, but I will tell her that you came by. Is there anything else?"

_Well, maybe it's a good thing... I'm not sure if Remilia will react well though. _"Then... what's your opinion of Yukari's idea?"

"You're referring to yourself?" Seeing me nod, Sakuya crosses her arms. "Seeing as you don't mean my lady any harm, I don't mind it if you come and stay here."

"Even though there's _her_?"

"Who might you be referring to?"

"That blond girl that Marisa told me about." Another lie, of course.

"I believe that's just an inherent risk."

I unload the last table and dust my hands. "Guess I'll have to play it by luck when the time comes then. Thanks for answering my questions."

"You're welcome. I trust you can make your own way out?"

"Yes, I'll be fine..." _Or not._

A young girl dressed in red with bat wings and blue hair stood in front of us. "Sakuya, have you bought the things I asked for? And who is this?"

"I have placed them in the dining room, my lady." The silver-haired maid extended a hand towards me. "This is Ikuto, he has just delivered the new furniture to replace the ones Flandre-sama destroyed."

_Huh, Sakuya's not carrying that bag, she must've stopped time and dropped it off. And I had the feeling that Flandre was responsible... That or Marisa. But right now, I better make this first impression count._

"Good afternoon, I'm Ikuto." I greet Remilia. "I heard you would be sleeping at this time."

"Sometimes I rise early." The vampire shrugs. "So you're that human. Who are you staying with now? That reporter hasn't been doing a good job of reporting your whereabouts."

"I'm currently residing in Eientei. As for Aya, I have an agreement with her that she will only interview me at the end of my stay."

Both of them seem to be surprised at that piece of news. "That's impressive, how did you manage that?"

"I just... uh, presented the offer so that it would appeal to her."

"I see..." Remilia approaches me. "So, will you be staying with us next?"

_Maybe I should try some flattery here._ "I'm afraid not," I tell her, going down on one knee so that she's higher up than I am, "But I look forward to the time I can spend in the company of your beautiful self."

"Oh? You are quite smooth with your words." She reaches out and cups my chin. "What is the reason for not doing so?"

"..." _Damn, those red eyes are piercing my soul._ "There is someone I have to repay beforehand."

"Sakuya."

"Yes, my lady?"

"I wish to go out, go get the parasol." Remilia turns back to me. "You have an interesting fate, Ikuto."

"I do? Apart from being brought in to follow Yukari's plan, the rest of my life seems quite normal."

"Would you like me to tell you what it is?"

_She's definitely up to something. _"If a pretty lady like you would be so kind."

"You won't ever break a bone."

_What?_ "That seems rather normal. By the way, I haven't caught your name yet."

"It is rare for a human to suffer no broken bones in his entire life. As for my name, I am Remilia Scarlet, which I'm sure you already know."

_Well, it does explain my life without that level of serious injuries. _"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Scarlet."

Remilia giggles, "It's been a while since anyone's called me that. Let me hear you say that again."

"Of course, Lady Scarlet." _Have to remember, she's like a child in character._

"My lady, I've brought your parasol." Sakuya is standing there with what Remilia asked for.

"Let's go pay a visit to Reimu." Remilia glances back at me. "Come by for a visit sometime, Ikuto."

"Of course."

Before they leave, I catch Sakuya giving me a nod with a small smile. Seems like I managed to clear that first impression nicely, even if the Scarlet Devil just left without much of a farewell. Retrieving the cart, I make my way out of the mansion, where I can see their figures flying in the direction of the shrine.

_She didn't think I meant Reimu, did she? Ah, no use worrying about it, let's just put the cart back._ I stop outside the gate and introduce myself to Meiling, who's quite friendly.

"Oh, so you're that human? I read about you from the newspaper that came with the manga from the tengu."

_Huh, the tengus print manga too?_ "Yeah, I'll eventually be staying here sometime. I'll be in your care when that time comes."

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay, I better be going. Try not to fall asleep again, okay?" Picking up the weight again, I head back towards the village.

"Haha, no way, I won't!" Meiling waves goodbye, but when I look back from the end of the bridge, I can see her silhouette's nodding off again.

* * *

><p>After dropping off the cart, I take a few minutes to boil off the ice melt from clashing with Cirno along the way back. Mokou's temperature control is really very convenient; the heat doesn't bother me so much, and it helps me take on Cirno without being affected too much by the cold she gives off, such as using a heated up Future Gazer to melt through her attacks instead of cutting through them.<p>

Mokou's not at home when I return, but that's normal for her. Instead, I start cooking dinner for three, since I made sure to invite Keine when I passed through the village. Despite trying to refrain from enlisting her help to get close to Mokou, it was just too easy to talk to Keine...

"I'm back." Mokou comes in through the door.

"Welcome back." _She's finally using that greeting now. _"Keine's coming by."

"She is? You invited her again?"

"Yeah. Pass me the plates over there, please."

She does what I ask. "Here."

"Thanks. So, what did you do today?"

"Rescued a few villagers from youkai, and led some more to Eientei."

_She's talking more. It's working, Keine._ "Wait... you fought Kaguya again, didn't you."

"None of your business." She looks away instead of her usual hostile glare.

"I'm making it mine." Washing my hands, I grab her arm and stretch it out, revealing the blood-bordered hole just below the shoulder.

Mokou yanks her arm free. "You know I regenerate."

_Somehow I feel like Katsuragi Keima _(1)_ by doing this._ "That doesn't mean I don't worry when you get hurt, Mokou."

"...you don't need to." She mutters, but still doesn't meet my eyes.

_Okay, I think maybe I pushed enough for today. _"Go change, Keine will be here soon."

"Whatever..."

_That last response wasn't as strong as it usually was... Sometimes, I wonder if it's ethical to use this method to try and mend her relationship with Kaguya. If it backfires... _I turn at the sound of a knock on the door, and open it to admit Keine. "Evening, you're just in time, Keine."

"Where's Mokou?"

"Changing." I lower my voice before continuing, "She fought with Kaguya again."

"Is it working?" She responds in an equally low voice.

I shrug. "I think so."

Hearing Mokou's footsteps, I turn to see the immortal in a new white shirt I bought for her. Her expression's grumpy, but it brightens a little when she sees Keine, and she hurries to set out dinner. Unlike me, Keine has known Mokou for a long time, so she's obviously closer.

To explain what we have going on here, me and Keine are working together to 'rehabilitate' Mokou. Based off what I learned from Keine and Akyuu, Mokou's had very little experience with kindness from others, especially since those she's saved are in awe of her powers. Plus with her loner attitude, hardly even anyone dares to. That's when I came in; staying directly in Mokou's house means I interact with her when she's around, getting to know her character and basically letting her get to know me in return. The final aim of this plan is to help her get along with Kaguya, but currently that result looks far off.

First I started off with my typical polite, non-interfering treatment, but later, once Keine knew what I intended, she helped me to work my way into Mokou's good graces. What I did next was to apply the simple cooking technique of making use of a contrasting flavor to enrich the desired one. With Keine providing the 'soft' treatment to my 'hard' one, we keep Mokou off-balanced, enhancing the effect I'm having on her. Okay, so maybe that's stretching the definition of 'contrast'...

"The children are really liking the changes I made with your suggestions, Ikuto." Keine tells me as we're eating.

"Really? I didn't think it would be that effective..." I turn to Mokou. "Was Keine's teaching really that bad?"

"How would I know?"

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Making use of the placement of the pot to hide my finger, I signal Keine.

"Mokou, you can tell me. Was my teaching style that bad?"

"...it's a little boring."

Keine looks down. "I see..."

"Don't worry, you got me and Mokou to help you." I sling one arm around Mokou's shoulders. "Right?"

"Mmm... right." She twitches, but doesn't actively shrug me off.

"Thank you, Mokou, Ikuto." Keine reaches for the bag she brought with her. "So, can I ask for your help once we're done eating?"

_This is where the answer tells us whether we're on the right track._

"Sure, Keine. Though I don't know how much help I'll be."

Actually, once we've start working together, she turns out to be quite good at fixing the problems that Keine and I miss, even some that we didn't do on purpose. When Keine finally leaves, it's so late that even I'm yawning uncontrollably. I turn to set out the futon, but Mokou's already done it, and has her own blanket.

"Here," She pats the futon, "You always put the blanket on me, so I'm returning the favor with this."

I nod sleepily. "Thanks, Mokou. And good night."

* * *

><p><em>It appears that the cycle is permanently stuck on three days. Iku doesn't come every time, but each time she does, Komachi and I just include her without any reservations. The activities we do are like that of children's, yet there's also a bit of the element of maturity. With Komachi usually providing any tools we need, we're playing games, learning new meaningless ways to pass our time, or just talking to each other when we gather.<em>

_"..." Komachi stares at my face, trying to read any clues in my expression as her hand hovers over my cards._

Eye flick to the right.

_"This one!" She snatches the one I glance at, and her face freezes immediately. "Gah, not again!"_

_The redhead scrutinizes her cards once more, before shuffling them and holding them out to Iku. The oarfish youkai strokes her finger along the cards and back again, and finally slides the leftmost one out. After looking at the one she drew, she laid it out with the last card in her hand to win the game._

_"Ahh! That's the fifth time, Iku!" Komachi tosses her cards down. "How do you do it?"_

_"She reads the mood, Komachi." I answer for Iku. "No matter how still your expression is, you're giving it away without knowing if you can't control your emotions."_

_"Shit!" The shinigami stands up. "Alright, Iku, what do you want me to do?"_

_The winner of our game touches her chin as she tries to come up with something we haven't already done. "I confess, it is getting progressively more difficult to think of an original punishment game."_

_"Yeah." I agree with her. _We've done actions... wait wait, there IS something._ "Oh yeah, there's something else besides actions."_

_"What might that be?"_

_Minutes later, Komachi's fuming as she sits there with a curling handlebar mustache painted on her face, while Iku and I try our best to hold back our laughter._

_"I'm going to get the two of you back for this. Especially you, Ikuto." She glares at me._

_"Bring it on!"_

_Next game, a game of bluff with single card plays forbidden. This time, we agree to restrict our punishment games to a certain type for each game, and the one for this game is 'speech alteration'. Despite her earlier vow to get revenge on me, Komachi clearly wants to hear Iku talking weird too._

_"Eight pair!" I slap it down as urgently as I can._

_"Seven pair!" Komachi covers my lie straight away._

_Iku puts down another two. "Eight pair."_

_"Bluff!" I take the two cards and turn them face up. "Take the pile, Iku."_

_"Once again, I am but a party of one." Iku says to herself sadly._

_Of course, once she loses that round, it becomes a free-for-all. Iku has the advantage with her mood reading, but Komachi actually uses her distance manipulation to prevent either of us from calling a bluff so she can do it first. I can counter the mood reading by killing my emotions before I throw out my cards, but there's just no way to beat that distance manipulation. Needless to say, all of us lose a few times._

_"Thizz kind of gamez would have zeemed ridiculerzz to me before, Hinanawi Tenshi." Iku stifles a giggle at hearing herself speak._

Iku's style of speech with exaggeration of the letter 's', and ending her sentences with 'Hinanawi Tenshi', equals awesome. _"But eet ees fun, right, says Ikuto as Ikuto grins." _And I'm talking like one of those Misaka clones. (2)

_"Nngh, that's right, nngh, this is, nngh, really funny -degeso! _(3)_" Komachi finally breaks down and starts laughing out loud again, which makes us laugh as well._

_Finally, we take a break after a few more games, with all the punishment rules lifted, and any paint marks washed away. Iku had cat whiskers and a circle around one eye, I had a goatee and a super thick uni-brow, while Komachi received a star in the middle of her forehead to complement her mustache. Good thing the river water could be used to wash the ink off._

_"So how's Tenshi lately?" I ask Iku while lying down._

_"The Eldest Daughter seems to have developed a taste for throwing the pits from the peaches down at the tengu."_

_"Ah, I read about that in the newspaper. Did Aya go up to stop her or anything?"_

_She shakes her head. "No, none of the tengu were particularly bothered."_

_"Do you want me to go beat her up for you?" Komachi offers._

_"I appreciate the offer, but her behavior does not warrant any punishment. Yet."_

_"Can't wait for the time when she remembers about me." I say sarcastically. "Iku, when she does, and she causes an earthquake in an attempt to get me to go to where she is, please tell her that I can't fly."_

_"I will convey it to her when the time comes." Iku smiles. "After a suitable chastisement."_

_"Send her to me first, so I can give her a piece of my mind too."_

_"Of course. I wouldn't want to disappoint a friend's request."_

Iku's fitting in really well now. Oh, there it is._ "I'm going now, girls. Iku, make sure Komachi does some work."_

_"Farewell, Ikuto." Iku inclines her head towards me._

_"Yeah, see ya next time!" Komachi picks up her scythe. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"_

* * *

><p>I encounter Reisen as I'm passing through the Bamboo Forest on my way to restock the groceries in Mokou's house. The medicine case she's carrying tells me that she's working on deliveries again, and as usual, I accompany her since it's along the way and all.<p>

After that reveal by Eirin, she treated me like someone to be avoided, and even during the restocking trips, she used her power to hide from me, prompting a bunch of questions from the houses I visit. I managed to deflect them by saying stuff like 'we're splitting up the workload', or 'I'm supposed to try doing it myself', but eventually my conscience stopped me from leaving her alone, and I cornered her after dinner just before I moved to Mokou's a few days back.

"Reisen, please, stop avoiding me like this and tell me the truth." I begged her after bringing her to one of Eientei's lesser-used areas. "Is it really that hard staying around me?"

"No..." She refused to look me in the eye. "But... you already have Youmu... and Master..."

_Damn, damn, damn!_ I was hating myself then. "But you're hurting yourself because of me, can't you see that!"

"Then stop being so kind to me!" She snapped back. "You'll just hurt me more!"

I grabbed her wrist to stop her from running away. _I have no idea what to say here... this is like some screwed-up love scene, but I'll just tell the truth. _"I can't do that. Reisen... I don't want you to regret anything."

"Regret? I-"

"Look at me. Please." I stared at her until she met my eyes.

Slowly, as the lunatic effect spread through me, I started telling her the secret I told Youmu before. At times, she looked like she wanted to say something, but kept silent. When I finally finished, Reisen was shaking.

"I'm just an idiot for wanting those I care about to be happy, aren't I?" I asked quietly. _Ignore the urge to kiss her... ignore the urge to kiss her... ignore the urge to kiss her..._

She finally looked away. "Yes, you are."

I released my grip on her and stepped back. "That's all I have to say. I can't do anything else now."

"...tell me, does that Youmu know about this?"

"She does." I told her how Youmu reacted as well, in extra detail thanks to the unrestricted feeling caused by her eyes.

"...First, I'm going to do what she should have done."

The force of her slap made me stagger, and the pain's enough to make me tear up. But when I looked back at her, Reisen still stood there, with a tearful smile.

"And now, I can do what I wanted to do." She wrapprd her arms around me and pressed her face into my chest, which caused her ears to brush against my face.

After a few moments, I returned her embrace. Then groped her butt because my sense of self-control finally lost out to the lunatic effect. Ended up having to evade her for another hour because of that.

But it worked, and now, Reisen and I are closer than we were before. Youmu knows about it, of course. I made sure to tell her when I met her yesterday, and all she said was 'I expected that', and asked if I did 'that' yet, which I responded with 'no'. Just in case though, I bought her that brooch, and I'm planning something else...

"So, how are things back at Eientei?"

"Master and the princess have been discussing you." Reisen's hand twitches.

I reach out and hold it. "Huh? What are they saying about me?"

She blushes. "They said you were quite the ladykiller."

"Me? I look pretty ordinary compared to other guys in my world, not to mention I never had a girlfriend compared to some of the other people I know."

"Master predicted that you would say that." She giggles.

_What the heck? _"Is she some kind of seer to predict that?"

"But you know, she also said that it's probably because you act introverted too much. If you didn't tell me about your character, I would have thought that was nonsense."

_Ouch._ "...that's some crazy reading. What else did they say?"

"...Master said she believes you can do what you're planning, and she was discussing with the princess about how to reward you if you can pull it off."

"I bet she didn't say what I was planning out loud, did she?"

Reisen shakes her head. "I don't know what you're going to do, but please, be careful."

"Things are looking unclear from now on though... Nothing else to do but to leave it to luck, fate and guts."

We separate at the entrance to the village to do our respective tasks, and once I'm done, there's nothing else left to do. So on an impulse, I head over towards the Forest of Magic to give Rinnosuke a hand once more. As usual, no youkai comes attacking... if I don't get better training, I'm going to get myself trounced against a stronger opponent. Cirno's good to train with, but she's too easily suckered...

"Rinnosuke-san~!" I knock on his door and call. "You in?"

"Oh, Ikuto? Yeah, come on in. Glad to see you again."

I open the door to see the silver-haired spectacled shopkeeper seated behind the counter with a book open in front of him. The shelves around him are filled with all manner of odds and ends, some of which would be normal items in the modern world, others I've never even seen before in my life. As expected of the super-hoarder...

So far, I've only been here once, out of curiosity, but he already knows about me from Aya. He thanked me for helping her improve her articles, and immediately asked for my help in figuring out how some of the items in his collection work. I managed to explain only an old computer and cell phone before I realized that I was late for Tewi's training, and left quickly with my apologies. He's a bit forbidding at times, but that's probably because he was too preoccupied with something else. Overall, he's a nice guy.

"So, what do you need?" He greets as I put my basket near his counter.

"Where are the stuff that you usually put aside for Yukari? I think I'm going to need one of those..."

"There, over to your right." Rinnosuke doesn't make a move to get up.

"In exchange, what do you need me to explain the use of?"

This time, he does move. Going over to another shelf, he takes down a laptop and puts it on the table. I walk over to examine it, and flinch when I see its blue surface and brand name.

"When did you pick this up?"

"About a week ago. What's wrong? I identified this as a 'laptop', but it's quite similar to the 'computer' that you explained to me before." Rinnosuke flips it open, revealing a keyboard with a plastic protector on it. "It's got a keyboard, but no mouse. Really, I still don't understand why that thing's called a mouse."

I run a finger along the part below the keyboard, feeling the dried up sweat there from the user's hands. The screen still has the plastic taped to it. "A laptop is a miniaturized version of a computer. It's got its own power source, and instead of a mouse, you have this touchpad right here."

"Oh, so does that mean I will finally get to see how these things work?" He asks eagerly.

I shake my head. "Definitely not. This laptop hasn't been charged, that means its power source hasn't been renewed," I explain on seeing his puzzled expression, "for at least four months already."

"Four months? How can you tell?"

"Because it was mine. Normally, if it runs on its internal power, it lasts for around... eight hours? I can't recall. But even if it's not used, leaving it untouched for all this will still have the same effect."

"I see... so I won't get to see how this works." Rinnosuke looks at me. "Do you want it back?"

"No need. It's not like I can use it while I'm here. If anything, just leave it with Yukari when she comes by." I close my laptop. "But I'll just explain some of what I know."

I show him the battery and the webcam, as well as the ports it has. But without any cables or a screwdriver to open it up, there's not much else I can do. Once that's done, I go back to searching through his stuff, looking for a certain item. I'm deep inside the place when the door suddenly bangs open.

"Yo, Kourin!" A high-energy voice echoes through the store.

I hear Rinnosuke sigh. "Marisa, I told you not to barge in so many times already."

"Ahh, don't sweat the small stuff -ze!"

"I'll brew some tea, so just wait over there and don't touch anything. Ikuto, you want some too?"

"Oh, Ikuto's here?" Marisa sticks her head into the aisle I'm in. "Ah, so he is! Whatcha' doing?"

"Seeing if Rinnosuke-san has something I'm looking for..." I turn back to the shelves.

"What? What? Anything Ikuto looks for has to be interesting -ze!" She skips over to me and looks at where I'm looking.

Then I spot it. "Ah, there we go. Next we need..."

"We? Who else are you talking about?"

"That's a secret." I scan further down. "Rinnosuke-san, do you have those things that are..." I think of how to describe it for him. "About the half the size of that bag you carry, with a long cable extending from its top?"

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't catch that." He sticks his head around the corner. "Couldn't hear you from the kitchen. What was it you were looking for?"

I repeat my request. "You keep them apart from these things, right? They're called controllers."

"Controllers? I seem to recall... there are quite a few of those, over in the next aisle if I'm not wrong." His head pulls back. "The tea will be ready soon, you want to drink them out here?"

"Sure -ze!" Marisa answers cheerfully. "So, Ikuto, what's that you got there?

_There's that boisterous attitude of hers again. _I sigh. "I'm not sure I can explain it to you."

"Of course you can, Ikuto." A familiar voice interrupts.

Marisa spins around to look as I stiffen, seeing the figure of Yukari Yakumo appear at the entrance of the aisle. With her open parasol idly spinning behind her and blocking the light, it was nearly impossible to make out her features. But she's dressed in her old clothes, a purple one-piece and gloves that go up past her elbow.

"Long time no see, Yukari." _Not since you dropped me off at Eientei._

"Yes, it's been a while. You're not going to ask if I overslept?"

"Nope. What I'm going to ask is-"

She closes her parasol and plants it on the ground in front of her. "For an item, am I right?"

"Spying again?" Marisa asks.

"My~ how could you say that?" Yukari covers her mouth with one hand and chuckles. "Of course I spy. There's just so much interesting stuff to see."

_Uwah, blatant admission._ "So? What is it you want? In fact," I frown, "What exactly were you thinking, putting my laptop here?"

"What's a laptop?"

Both of us ignore Marisa. "Another test. I must say, you passed it once again."

"Test after test... really, you should be a teacher." I walk past her. "So, do I get any reward for passing?"

"Of course, there is something you want, am I right?"

"What? What?" Marisa continues to bug us. "Tell me what that is -ze!"

"It's just a toy, Marisa. I doubt it'll interest you at all." I find three of the controllers I want, plus a different kind that is still compatible. "Yukari, you've been reading me pretty well so far, so why don't you tell me what I want?" _Actually, it seems like everyone else has been doing the same._

"I'm sure _one_ of them is this." Yukari pulls out a white rectangular case with a familiar cover.

I stare at it. "You're right, but that's... that's not something you could have figured out... not without knowing my interests..."

"Ufufufu~" Yukari minces closer and sets the case on the counter. "As for the other thing... I will hand it over... if you show me satisfactory results."

_That laugh tells me she's not going to say anything... as usual. How long has she been spying on me? And how long before that?_ "Fine." I put all the items I gathered on the counter next to the case, before picking up my laptop and holding it out to her. "I'm sure you won't mind holding on to this."

"I've brought the tea." Rinnosuke came out with four cups on his tray. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Don't think so -ze." Marisa grabs a cup off the tray and seats herself on one of the piles. "Hmm, found anything interesting, Kourin?"

"Not really." He glances at the laptop I'm holding out to Yukari. "Just something that someone brought me."

"Then I'll take this in exchange for that." Yukari takes my laptop and slips it into one of her gaps. "After all, you wanted two items, but I said _a_ reward, didn't I?"

_Aggravating as always, plus that attention to details._ "So... are you going to have some tea with us?" I ask as I take a cup.

"I'm afraid I must refuse." She shook her head in Rinnosuke's direction. "Some other time."

"I'll have another then!" Marisa holds her hand out for another cup, and Rinnosuke hands it to her with a sigh as Yukari walks out of the place through a gap.

"A game?" Rinnosuke says to himself as he touches the case. "But it doesn't look like any game that I've ever seen."

"It can only be played under certain conditions. So, may I take these?"

"Feel free." He puts it down and crosses his arms. "Just come by more often, there's still a lot of things that I'd like you to help me figure out how to use, like this."

He pats a gray item that's like a giant ring mounted on a small can.

"That's a fan. It doesn't have any blades, but that's what it is. And it doesn't run without power." I tap the first item I picked. "I won't be able to carry all these with me right now, do you mind if I leave them here first?"

"No blades? Odd, I wonder how this works..." He examines the fan curiously, then looks up. "Ah, don't worry about those, I'll make sure to keep them separate."

"Thanks." Putting down my cup, I head for the door with my groceries.

"Going already? See ya then -ze!" Marisa waves.

* * *

><p>That night, I finally manage to persuade Mokou to try sleeping in a futon. Given how uncomfortable her usual sleeping position is, she takes unexpectedly long to fall asleep. But once she does, it's into a very deep slumber, so much that she doesn't wake when I shift a few strands of her hair away from her face. She looks so vulnerable when she's like this instead of her usual sit-against-the-wall self.<p>

Sparing one last glance for her, I take out three small pieces of paper and set them on the table where a single pencil's already waiting. On the first, I write down 'Fate'. The second, 'Luck'. And the third, 'Guts'. Then I put them together face-down and shuffle them randomly until I can't tell which is which.

_I didn't really want to decide like this, but I can't see any definite end with the way I'm going. The question is whether I'm making a big mistake by doing this._ I take out the key from my pocket and stare at it. _Unlocking the future, huh. Fine, let's go ahead with this._

In one swift motion, I snatch up the middle card and read the text that's written on it. "...guess I was fated to draw this." I murmur to myself, before crumpling it up tossing it over my shoulder to burn in the coals.

* * *

><p>(1) The absolute Capturing God from The World God Only Knows. Now on its second anime season.<p>

(2) The clones from Railgun and Index, they have a habit of describing their words and actions in third person.

Reisen's pretty considerate of other people, isn't she~ Too bad Ikuto often feels like teasing her after a dose of her Lunatic Eyes.

Ikuto's got a plan to reconcile Mokou and Kaguya, and as you can tell from the last part, it's a very slipshod one. Of course, most of my readers should be able to guess what two of those three cards stand for. As for which one he drew, that will remain a secret for now.


	14. Chapter 13: To Tame A Phoenix Part 3

_"So, what's the problem, Ikuto?" Komachi sits across from me, her arms hugging her legs. "You seem lifeless."_

_I sigh. "Sorry."_

_"Don't apologize for nothing. So, what's troubling you?"_

_"The thing is..." I open and close the fingers on my right. "I usually can move forward easily, but this time... it's different."_

_"You know the immortals?" I ask, and she nods. "I want to fix their relationship, but I keep thinking that I'm being... cocky for wanting to mess with people who... have already lived and will continue to live for many times my lifespan."_

_"So... you need me to give you some words of support?"_

_I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."_

_"You know..." Komachi stands up and approaches me. "You've always listened to my troubles when I talk about them. You've made life so fun and interesting. Because of that, I actually don't mind working."_

_"That's why," She suddenly flicks me in the forehead, "I don't mind hearing you out for once. But seriously, you are such an idiot."_

_I rub the part she flicked. "So, asking as one idiot to another, what should I do?"_

_"Ho~ calling me an idiot, are you?" Komachi grins. "But you know, you should just go with how you feel."_

_I close my eyes, smiling. "You're right... it's just..."_

_"Don't worry so much. If you still need some more motivation..." Something soft touches my lips for a while. "There..."_

_My eyes spring open to see Komachi leaning over me, blushing slightly. Then my gaze slides downwards... and quickly spring back up again. When had her clothes spread so loose as to expose the skin between..._

_"An uncomfortable air between longtime friends... yet there is the hint of possibility."_

_Komachi quickly distances herself from me as Iku appears out of the mist. "Thought you weren't going to come, Iku." She laughs nervously._

_"Duties are unavoidable chores that serve to lessen time for other activities." Iku stops next to me. "I fear the Eldest Daughter's patience will soon prove too little to contain what she's currently doing."_

Things just go from bad to worse. I hope that Tenshi holds off long enough... _"Then I can't waste time." I stand up. "Looks like once again, work is taking time away from play."_

_"Good luck, Ikuto." Komachi stands up as well._

_"May good fortune find you." Iku echoes._

_For the first time, I initiate the return instead of waiting for the pull that comes when my time is up._

* * *

><p>"Oh, hello, Ikuto." Kaguya greets me when I step into Eientei. "What brings you here so early?"<p>

"That's something I'm not too sure about. Can we discuss it?"

"Of course."

She leads the way to her room, and lets me in. Instead of sitting cross-legged like I always do, I take the _seiza_ (1) position before her. She pauses when she sees that, and turns away from the teapot. As usual, she sits elegantly before me, but this time, we're not going to tell stories or anything so light.

"What is it you wish to discuss, Ikuto?"

_This time, that elegance is more like that of a beautiful blade. _"...I'm probably foolish to ask you this... but do you really wish to have your relationship with Mokou change?"

"..." She closes her eyes. "You are not foolish to ask that. However, I cannot give you a sure answer."

"Is it because of your immortality?"

Kaguya nods. "You are someone with great imagination. So I am sure that you can imagine how it is like to live without ever dying, staying eternal while everyone and everything dies around you."

"Probably nowhere close, but kind of..." I shake my head. "Please go on."

"The girl, Mokou, she hates me for spurning her father. I do not know how she did it, but she managed to drink the Hourai Elixir that I left behind. The result is what you can see, two immortal enemies, killing each other, over and over..."

What she tells me is stuff I already know, but there's a difference between stuff I read before, and the way she's telling me now. _She looks... happy to talk about this. And not in the 'getting things off your chest' way._ "Please... enough. Just... answer my question... are you willing to accept it if... it changes?"

"...I can." Kaguya stares at me regally. "I used to think the Earth was impure, but I've learned to love humans, to love this place. And when I met with Reimu and the others for the first time..." She closes her eyes and smiles as though enjoying the memory. "Change isn't... bad at all."

"I see." _That still isn't a clear answer._

"Ikuto." Her gaze becomes serious once again.

"Yes?"

"You know about my Five Impossible Requests, do you not?"

"Yes, you've showed me some of those items before."

"This is the first time I'm making the request without being propositioned in the first place... and I'm not sure if marriage will interest you as a reward, given the relationships between you, Inaba, and the gardener girl, but..." She seems to be composing herself.

_Oh. My. God._ "You want me to..." I ask, half-dreading the answer, half-looking forward to it.

"Ikuto, I believe you can do this." Her voice rings clearly throughout the room. "Help me befriend Fujiwara no Mokou."

_New Impossible Request: Tame The Phoenix. Accept the quest, Yes or No?_ "As you wish, Princess. However, when you refer to it as an 'Impossible Request', it's a bit demotivating. And marriage isn't really..."

"Sorry." She grins at me. "But you know what I mean."

I blink. _That's the first time I've ever heard her speak so colloquially._ "Yes, I do. Still, I may need your cooperation on this."

"You shall have it. By the way..." Kaguya chuckles. "Do you need help?"

"...yes..." I sigh.

My legs are totally unused to sitting in this position, so just a few minutes in it is enough to make them numb. Still smiling, Kaguya rises and comes over to me, and holds her hand out to me. I stand up with her help, but because I do it too fast, my balance isn't set properly, causing me to trip and stumble into her, causing the two of us to crash down onto the floor.

"Ouch..." I say more because of my legs than the impact. "I'm so sorry, are you okay, Princess?"

"Uhhh..." Her eyes flicker open. "Ikuto... please be more careful..."

_Ah... she looks even more beautiful than she normally is, with it this close and her hair spread out behind her... I should move... _"Ah... sorry..." I try to force my unresponsive legs to move.

"Ah..." Kaguya gasps, closing her eyes. "Ikuto... your leg..."

_My leg? Am I kneeling on her? _I look down and freeze. _That's the worst place ever to have my knee at. The only thing that would make this worse is..._

A freezing, ominous air fills the room. "What _exactly_ are you trying to do to the princess, Ikuto~?"

My head turns slowly, resisting my mind's commands as if trying to tell me 'Don't look if you want to live!'. As expected, Eirin's standing there... with her bow fully drawn, ready to send the executing arrow through my brain. The expression on her face says that she's on the verge of releasing it, and I have no idea how I'm going to get her to spare my life.

"Uhh... this is just an accident! Really! I'm getting up now!"

"Ahhh!" Kaguya moans again when my knee digs in deeper unintentionally.

"That. Does. Not. Look. Like. Getting. Up." The arrow tip is shaking, but at this range, she can't miss.

_Wait, wait, wait! Oh right, I don't have to get up straight!_ "My legs are..."

"Enjoying themselves, aren't they?"

_Don't speak so pleasantly! _Instead of pushing myself up, I let myself roll off her instead. "My legs are nu-wuaaaah..." I trail off as I look upwards.

Since we were originally seated near the door, rolling to the side put me at Eirin's feet. Which means I'm very close to her, which means when her aim follows me, the arrow is now so close I can touch it with my head if I just sit up. Throw in the violent shaking...

"Eirin... please lower your bow, Ikuto was telling the truth. That was an accident."

_The voice of an angel!_ I look to the side. _Uhh... don't blush as you say that, please._ Facing my face back upwards, I realize the arrow has changed targets. "E-E-Eirin-san, that's not called lowering your bow... and why are you aiming down there?"

"But it's best to deal with problems at the _root_, don't you think?" She's smiling very dangerously now.

_THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO PLAY THE VERBAL GAME! _"Not in this case!"

Eirin holds the pose for a bit longer, before finally lowering the bow and putting away the arrow. "Really, Ikuto," She brushes hair away from her face and smiles down at me amusedly. "Your expression is so funny when you get into situations like this."

"Sadist."

"Oh? Did you say something?" She plucks the bowstring, making it twang threateningly.

I shake my head frantically. "Nothing at all!"

"Good. Your legs should be fine, so get up already."

She's right, so I stand up and apologize to Kaguya once more before leaving the room. Eirin walks alongside me, still carrying her bow.

"Whose idea was it to make it an Impossible Request?"

"The princess." Eirin stops walking. "Aren't you happy? You get to marry her if you succeed."

I facepalm. "Does Reisen know about this?"

"Udonge? Yes, she does. Surprisingly, she's alright with it."

_That's because she's already sharing me with Youmu... wait, wait, wait... this just seems _wrong_! _"Anyway, I'll be going now. I'll come by if I need anything."

"Of course. I'll be making the preparations for marriage."

_She always has to have the last word. _I wave without looking back.

* * *

><p>"Where were you, Ikuto?" Mokou asks me curiously when I walk through the door. "It's probably going to rain later, so let's take in the laundry after lunch."<p>

"Sorry. I'll get started right away."

"Really..." She sighs and starts taking out the utensils. "Here, I'll help too."

_Oh good, another step... no, maybe I should call it, another building block for a tower... Got to be careful not to put too heavy a block. _"Thanks, Mokou. Fried rice okay with you?"

"Sure. I'll cut the vegetables." Mokou offers.

We work together to fix the meal, and I do as much as I can to tease her gently, to which she responds favorably. It makes me feel a little screwed up when I think about how I'm going to carry out my plan. But for now, I just keep that to myself while we finish fixing the food and eating like we always do. Later, as we're bringing in the laundry, I start by doing some probing.

"Mokou..."

"Yes?" She responds while shaking out a sheet.

"I've never asked you this before... but what do you think of Kaguya?"

"I hate her."

_That was one super fast response. But... _"Why?" I press.

"She made my father do some stupid, idiotic task." Her grip tightened on the sheet. "Because of that, he abandoned my mother and me. As if we didn't even matter."

_Father complex? No, this is different, the emotion was in the last word... Let's test the waters with some vague suggestion. _"So basically, you hate her, because she caused your life to be miserable."

"That's exactly it." Mokou nods.

_Woah, woah, woah! The hatred's suddenly gone, just like that? This is really hard to figure out._ "...can I ask just one more thing?"

"What?" She responds irritably. "Ah, whatever," Mokou sighs and looks away, "Just ask your question."

"Have you... ever thought of not killing Kaguya?"

"Huh?" She looks at me so fast that I can almost hear her neck crick. "Not killing? That's..."

Seeing her trail off, I start running the scenarios in my mind. _She's... never thought it over, but now that I'm asking, she actually is. Chance? Or is this going to be a false lead?_

"Ikuto. Ikuto!" Mokou's shaking me.

"Huh?" I look up. "Oh, crap, it's raining!"

"Really, what's gotten into you? Come on, let's get the laundry in quick."

Once the clothes and sheets are in, the two of us spend the whole afternoon just sitting in her house, doing our own activities while watching the rain pour down. I'm nearly done with reading the scrolls Akyuu lent me, while Mokou's making some bamboo items. At times, I catch Mokou giving me a strange look, but when I return it, she pretends that she's looking somewhere else instead. Eventually, I decide to try probing again, except from a different angle.

"Mokou... do you... ever regret being immortal?"

"If I wasn't immortal... I wouldn't have met Kaguya again..." Mokou clenches her fists. "But... but..."

_Her life was harsh after she drank the Hourai Elixir..._ "Mokou," I impulsively move around so I can hold her from behind, and feel her start to struggle, "Just listen to me for a bit."

She stops struggling. "What?"

With the sensation of her stray hair brushing against my face, I ask her, "Excluding killing Kaguya... what is it you live for?"

"...what I... live for?" Mokou starts shaking in my embrace. "What do I live for?"

_Suggest something here?_ "Is it being with Keine?"

"Keine..." Her shaking stops. "She's... an important friend... I... not just her..."

"Who else?"

"Th-that's..." Her hand comes up to rest on my arms. "I-it's you... Ikuto..."

"Even if..." I swallow, "Even if I'll die someday?"

Her body tenses instantly. "I... don't want to... think about that..."

Sighing, I release her and stand up. "Then don't," I tell her when she turns to look at me, "For now, I'm here."

"Ikuto..."

Squatting down, I place one hand on top of her head. "To be honest, I'm glad to hear your answer." _My mind's made up now..._

Somebody knocks at the door. "Ikuto? Mokou? Are you in?" Keine's muffled voice asks.

"Keine?" I open the door to reveal Keine closing her umbrella. "What are you doing here? Come on in first."

"Just came by to check up on you and Mokou."

"Keine!" The immortal breaks into a smile on seeing her friend.

Seeing how Mokou responds to Keine, I can understand why some fanworks depict the two as being in a relationship. _Sheesh, that Mokou... she's unused to receiving kindness, but when she's used to it... _I smile a little when I see her laughing. _Huh? Keine's... signaling me._

"Keine, you want to stay for dinner?" Seeing her nod, I continue, "Then, do you mind helping me?"

"I'll help too!"

"Sure, cut up the potatoes over there." I grin at her. "Keine and I will be taking care of the rest here, okay?"

"No problem."

With Mokou sufficiently distracted, Keine is able to talk to me privately. "So, Ikuto, will it be soon?"

"Tomorrow... latest."

Keine continues cutting the ingredients. "Do you need my help?"

"No. Keine, whatever happens... don't help me."

She stops. "Why?"

"If I fail... Mokou will probably end up hating me. I don't want her to lose you too."

"What are you talking about over there?" Mokou calls out to us.

Without missing a beat, I call back. "Whether Keine will ever get wooed."

"Ikuto!"

"Woah, Keine's blushing!"

"Gah! Point that knife somewhere else!"

Later, as we're laughing while talking over dinner, I put the plan I have out of my head and just enjoy their company. Unlike Hakugyokurou or Eientei, the atmosphere in Mokou's humble place is warmer and more close-knit, making it easy to relax. Of course, I enjoy the other two as well, but this... reminds me a little bit of home. But I'm not homesick at all.

Later, after the rain has stopped and Keine has taken her leave, I set out the futon for myself while Mokou takes a bath. When I finish having mine, I come out to see that she's actually changed into sleeping clothes instead of her usual shirt and suspenders look, and is taking out her own futon. On a whim, I stop her, and indicate the single one.

"You... want us to share?"

"If you don't mind. I won't do anything weird, so don't worry."

"Hm, fine." Mokou crawls under the covers. "So? Aren't you getting in too?"

"Of course." I get in on the opposite side, making sure to stay far away enough from her.

"Hey, Ikuto," She asks after a few moments, "You're thinking of leaving soon, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh good, then I will finally be free of your i-interference."

_So why did you stutter there?_ "Are you really that glad to be rid of me?"

"Of course. But..."

_'But'?_ "Tell me something... Mokou... do you like being alone?" _Never would have asked that before._

"Well, obviously I-"

"So I should tell Keine to leave you alone too?" I say on purpose.

"NO! Why would you-"

"See? You don't." I grin at her.

Mokou punches my shoulder. "You-!"

"Let's leave this for tomorrow." She continues to glower at me, but I ignore her by facing the ceiling until sleep takes me.

* * *

><p>"Good morning." I mumble to Mokou when she shakes me awake.<p>

"Morning, sleepyhead." She stands up and nudges me with her foot. "Go wash your face."

"'Kay..." I stumble out of the house. "No breakfast for me, I got stuff to do."

"If you say so."

"And, Mokou," I turn back halfway. "I promise you this. I won't let you be alone."

"I handled myself fine before you came along, Ikuto." She shakes her head. "Really, Ikuto, what's gotten into you today? It looks like it'll rain again today, so be careful you don't get caught."

After I've washed my face at the river, I head for Eientei. Amazingly, I encounter Tewi before I even set foot inside, which I take as a sign of luck. Hopefully that will be enough.

"Moving here so early -usa?"

I shake my head. "I have something I need to ask the princess. And you too."

"Me -usa?" Tewi points at herself.

"Yeah, I need that luck you promised me."

"Oh!" She slaps her right fist into her left palm. "I did say I'd give you some, didn't I -usa?"

_Did you forget about that? _"Yeah you did. Mind following me first?"

"Sure -usa."

Kaguya's not in her room, so I start searching around Eientei, with Tewi following behind me like some curious child. Eventually, I encounter her in the dining area, about to take breakfast with the rest. Of course, I accept their invitation to eat with them.

"Ikuto, you're doing it today, aren't you?" Eirin asks halfway through.

"Yeah. Kaguya-hime, I need you to follow me after this. You too, Tewi."

"Of course. You're asking the Inaba along too?"

"He needs me too -usa." Tewi sniggers, finding it funny.

"Do you need any drugs? I have a hypnotic drug that you might find useful."

_Don't suggest something so dangerous-sounding!_ "I must refuse. After all, I already have my own plans. Adding your suspicious drugs to the mix would throw everything off."

"What are those plans?"

I take out the two pieces of paper and hold them up. "'Luck' and 'Guts'. Together."

Reisen sighs. "There you go again. Ikuto, you should stop being so reckless."

"If we were discussing something that followed common sense, then I would agree with you. BUT!" I start counting off points. "Immortals! Youkai! Fire powers! Therefore being reckless is normal!"

"You broke him, Udonge."

"Me?" Reisen jerks back in surprise. "What did I do?"

"Nothing! This is just me!" I cross my arms and smirk.

Tewi pokes me in the side, making me flinch. "You really broke him, Reisen."

"Wait, how did it become my fault!"

"Just ignore him, he's purposely acting stupid to take his mind off things."

_Geh, read so easily again?_ "Ignore me? That's impossible, you might as well ignore that girl with green hair sitting over there!"

**"Oh?" **The girl I pointed at turns to face me. **"You can see me?"**

Reisen and the rest turn to look as well. "Where did you come from? Wait, why are you even eating our food?"

**"I was just thinking how the food here tastes so good."** She replies. **"How were you able to see me?"**

"I have no idea. Who are- Oh, I think I've heard of you, Koishi Komeiji, aren't you?"

**"Yes. And you are?"**

"Ikuto."

"Ikuto, you know this girl?" Eirin asks.

"I heard about her... not sure from who."

**"I'm Koishi Komeiji, the sister of Satori Komeiji. Pleased to meet you."** The girl bows to the rest.

Kaguya returns her greeting. "Likewise. Forgive me for asking, but when did you come in? I hadn't noticed you at all."

"Satori...?" Eirin says thoughtfully. "Can you read minds too?"

**"Unfortunately, I cannot, as I have closed my third eye." **Koishi indicates the closed eye on her chest. **"So you don't have to worry. Also, I'll be leaving soon."**

"Yeah, anyway, I think we should just finish our breakfast." I return to eating.

"Suddenly he's returned to normal -usa."

"Wait, weren't we..." Reisen looks at the empty seat. "Where did that girl go?"

"See, common sense does not apply!" I point at the place where Koishi was sitting. "There's no way we couldn't have noticed her leaving!"

"And... he's gone back to being crazy again." Eirin sighs.

"You have such an interesting character, Ikuto." Kaguya chuckles.

Reisen facepalms and sighs. "How did I ever fall in love with a guy like this..."

"But you still love him, right, Udonge?"

"Ma-Master!"

"Okay, I'm done!" I set down my empty bowl. "Let's go after a bit of rest, Kaguya, Tewi!"

"Sure -usa!"

"As you wish." Kaguya nods.

* * *

><p>Hours later, we're waiting in Mokou's place, thoroughly bored. When lunch came around, I just cooked for the two of them instead of continuing to wait. Since I rarely cook for them at Eientei, they welcome the change in food.<p>

"Sorry, I didn't expect that she would go out." I apologize.

"Maa~" Tewi rolls back and forth on the floor.

"No need to worry, this is just another essential step to befriend Fujiwara no Mokou."

"Anyway, Tewi, how are you going to increase my luck anyway?"

"It's already done -usa!" Tewi stops rolling and flashes me a peace sign.

"Well, as long as it brings results. I just hope that I don't use it up right away just to have Mokou..."

"Ikuto, I'm back. Sorry, I was eating with-" The door slides open.

"Good afternoon, Mokou."

The girl freezes. "Ka-Ka-Kaguya? Wh-what are you doing here?"

_I'm getting a really bad feeling now. _"Welcome back, Mokou." I try to draw her attention, but she's not listening.

"Good timing, I was thinking of going to kill you..." Mokou continues staring at Kaguya. "KAGUYA!"

Roaring wings of flames sprout from her back, and her face warps into a feral grin I've never seen her make before.

_Oh, shit._

* * *

><p>(1) Traditional Japanese sitting pose, with you sitting on your heels. Not easy.<p>

Shorter than my usual chapters lately. Filled with randomness, like how Koishi suddenly pops up. How many of you realized that she turned up in the first chapter has well?

I pulled off another 'reversed decision' once again. The card that Ikuto drew in the last chapter was 'Fate', but he took that to mean that he wasn't going to make use of Remilia's help.

Really, asking Mokou to put aside her hate for Kaguya... worthy of being called an Impossible Request.

As usual, my random writing style is a bit... I don't know how to describe it, but it seems to be taking me up and down. This is one of those 'downs'. Hopefully it'll go 'up' soon.


	15. Chapter 14: New Impossible Request

**Once again, thanks to all those who are following this story! As expected, there's going to be a fight... and Ikuto isn't flame resistant or eternal. Seems like Tewi's luck didn't work.**

* * *

><p>"Stop, Mokou!" I place myself between her and Kaguya, using Future Gazer to stop her fist of fire.<p>

"Ikuto. Move." Her expression reverts a little, but it's still beast-like.

"I won't. Listen to me first, Mokou."

The two of us stare each other down, but it's Mokou who backs off first. "You better speak up fast."

"Hot-headed as always, Mokou."

"Shut up, Kaguya." Mokou snaps back. "So, Ikuto? What is it you want to say?"

"I want you to stop this cycle of killing with Kaguya." _Direct once again._

"Why should I?"

I lower Future Gazer, feeling its warmth from Mokou's fire. "Tell me this, Mokou, why do you hate Kaguya?"

"She shamed my father."

_Sorry, Mokou._ "That's not the truth!" I throw back at her.

"You-!" She steps back, as if I had punched her.

"I asked you yesterday... you... you're not doing this for your father." I step forward, following her.

"That's right, I'm not!" Mokou throws her hand out to the side. "I hate Kaguya! That's all that matters!"

"Then what do you really hate her for?" I press.

"She-!" Her face twists, as if she doesn't want to think about it. "SHE-!"

"Ikuto..."

"Kaguya, don't say anything." I don't turn around, not daring to take my eyes off the immortal in front of me. "You too, Tewi."

"As you wish."

"Ikuto! You... what are you trying to do!" Mokou growls.

"What I've always done." I revert Future Gazer into its original form. "I want to help you."

"Help me? By asking me to get along with this..." She spits to show her opinion of Kaguya.

"Then answer me! Mokou, why do you hate Kaguya!" I shout at her.

"Because-! BECAUSE-!" It seemed as though trying to think about it is hurting her.

"When you answered me yesterday, there were three points. Your father had to do an impossible task. Your mother and you were abandoned. And..."

"DON'T SAY IT!" Mokou screams at me. "DON'T SAY IT!"

_I'm so sorry. _"That you didn't matter."

She clutches at her face, screaming while fire leaks from her skin. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

_By causing your father to do that, Kaguya indirectly took away something that might have given you a reason for existing. And because of that, she chose to hate Kaguya in return._ "But that's not true!" I shout at her in order to get my words through. "Mokou! You matter to me!"

"LIAR!" She glares at me with all the hatred that she usually reserves for Kaguya.

"IT'S THE DAMN TRUTH!" I step even closer, altering my heat to bear the amount she's giving off.

"Then why! Why are you doing this to me!"

"Because I'm not eternal!" _That had an effect, does she think that highly of me?_ I thought, seeing Mokou's flames stop.

"What?" She asks in a whisper, looking at me like I'm a monster and she a frightened child.

"That's right. I won't live forever." _I can't say that I'm a _human. "You will. Long, long after I die, after my bones are dust!"

"No..." Mokou backs away from me. "Don't remind me... you... Ikuto..."

I follow her outside. "I'll die." I repeat, driving the point in. "I'll die someday."

"No... no... no, no, no... Don't make me think about that!"

"But Kaguya is." I stop when we're a good distance from her house. _Should I continue, or will she figure out what I mean by that?_

"Kaguya?" Mokou stops shivering. "That's right... Kaguya is..."

_Uh oh... not good, the flames are getting bigger. I should have continued talking. _"Mokou?"

"That's right... Kaguya's eternal... just like me... so I just... keep on... killing her... even after... even after Ikuto... after Keine... DIES!" Huge wings of flames burst out from her back.

_Holy. Shit._ "Mokou! Snap out of it!"

"Ikuto...?" She asks, "Why are... why are you... no, you'll just die anyway..."

_She wasn't listening..._ "Yes, but right now, I'M HERE!"

"Here?" Mokou stares at me, but her gaze suddenly shifts. "Kaguya... is here... DIE!"

"Kaguya, look out!" Without thinking, I swing hard and knock a charging Mokou aside with the flat of Phantom Blossom, wincing at the heat from her flames. "Why the hell did you come out!"

Mokou staggers to her feet. "Ikuto... why... why are you doing this... I thought... I thought you were dead..."

"NO, I'M NOT! I'M HERE, MOKOU!"

"No... you're just another... one of Kaguya's... tricks..." Mokou mutters dangerously.

_Uh oh... this really isn't good. I ended up breaking her._ "Damn it, looks like I need to beat some sense into Mokou."

"Do you need help?" Kaguya asks from behind me.

"Yes... is what I'd like to say... but I think I need to do this alone." I tighten my grip on my weapon. "In a way, this is my fault, after all."

"Then, I shall withdraw to make preparations in case the fire spreads." The feeling of her presence fades.

"BURN!" Mokou screams, sending a wave of fire at me.

I dodge to the side, adjusting my temperature further to bear the heat. The bolts of fire follow me so closely I can smell my clothes starting to singe, but I ignore it and cut straight for Mokou, who's not moving. From the expression of her face, I'm just another enemy now.

_Damn it, when did I have to play the role of Reimu._ "WAKE THE FUCK UP, MOKOU!" I roar, swinging for her neck.

She simply blocks it with a blazing fist and aims at me with her other hand. I quickly disengage and graze the sudden burst of shots she fires, and try again. This time, she stops my slash by catching it, and her eyes lock onto me murderously.

"You... aren't real..."

_Oh shit!_ I quickly switch to Future Gazer and back again, forcing her fingers open enough to let me pull the Keyblade free. "Woah!"

Her head turns slowly to follow the direction I had dodged in. "Burn... you... should just burn..."

I strike a few more times, but this time, instead of blocking, she just lets them cut through her. "Damn it!" _Her energy's eternal as well, so no matter how much I cut, I won't be able to drain her._

"DIE!"

The explosion caused by her attack sounds just like a clap of thunder, leaving a crater on the ground. I dodge a few more times as more thunder rocks the place. I'm kind of glad that she's currently in berserk mode, or I'd be roasted already. Still, if she wasn't in berserk mode, I wouldn't be fighting like this.

But still, her attacks are deadly powerful. I can't graze her danmaku like I can with Youmu or Reisen with the heat they pack; even with my body heat at the max level, the difference in temperature is just too much. But I can't run away from this. There's no way I can.

_I caused her to be like this, so I have to stop it. Even if I die doing so!_ "HAAAA!"

Those red eyes continue tracking me, barely registering the effect of having my weapon cut through her neck. "RRRAAAAAHHH!"

_Roll!_ I avoid another lance of flame. "Mokou! Wake up- Gah!" Instinctively, I raise my arms to shield myself from the burst of heat she gives off.

Thunder rocks the place, but this time, it comes from above. The sudden unexpectedness of it causes me to freeze, and Mokou sends a bird of fire at me. With no other choice, I cut it into half, feeling the pressure from both halves as they barely miss me.

_I'm... alone..._ The thought suddenly runs through my head. _What?_

"Burn." Mokou sends another bird at me.

_Let's try it again._ Instead of dodging, I cut it again. _Everyone else... just dies..._

I blink, hearing such alien thoughts in my mind. Mokou's attacks are slowing down, it's like she's... no, she's building up power! I grunt as the fire suddenly grows even bigger, forcing me back. Damn it, if only some kind of miracle would-

_Water?_ I look at the drop on my hand. _It's raining! But it's probably not enough to handle Mokou's fire._

"Burn. Burn. Burn. BURN!" This time, Mokou brings both hands forward and shoots a bird at least twice the size of the previous ones.

I skip back a bit to buy time. _Scattered Cherryblossoms!_ "Guh!" My left hand flinches, the slight burn on it resisting the preparation step. "Don't think this is going to stop me!"

I dig the point of Phantom Blossom into the ground, and use it as the resistance builder to launch the strike. Unexpectedly, a huge spray of pink petals bursts from the swing, causing Mokou's attack to shred when they come into contact.

_Nobody... wants me! _Mokou's voice screams in my head. _Huh? Is this... my Keyblade's power? _I stare at the weapon in my hand. _Wait, I don't have the time to think about this!_

I barely avoid another attack, but the heat from Mokou is getting even bigger now, preventing me from even getting close. Even the rain is getting evaporated before it touches her. But still, Mokou hardly seems to notice me now, her attention is turning further inwards. However, her attacks are definitely continuing to focus on me.

"Mokou! Can you hear me, Mokou!" I keep screaming, hoping she can. "Stop this! Mokou! Snap out of it!"

_No good, she's not listening. _I make a misstep and end up having to cut through another attack. _What... am I... living for..._

"Mokou?" I ask, but there's no further answer. "You're in there, aren't you!"

"..." She stares at me without emotion, and just raises her hand.

"Don't screw me with me, Mokou!" I cut down the next bullet.

_Everyone... hates me..._ The thoughts continue pouring into my mind the more attacks I cut through. _All because... I'm..._

"Shit. Shit. Shit." I try to approach again, but the heat gets even worse. _Mokou's... if she continues on that line of thought... she'll eventually think about Kaguya... then..._

_It hurts... it hurts..._

"Mokou!" _Damn it, how can I help her?_

_I don't... want to... think about it..._

_Use me._ I blink, hearing a third voice, but not in my head. "Who?" _Use me._

Mokou's wings of flame continue to grow, spanning more than her height in either direction, and the attacks come even fiercer. _Who is... the cause..._

_Use me. _"FUCK! IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, THEN HAVE IT YOUR WAY!" _Maximum heat! Phantom Blossom: Sakura Falling!_

This time, I focus entirely on Mokou when I run at her, shutting off all other sensations as I focus all the enhancing ability of Phantom Blossom into my weapon arm. Unleashing it all in a furious flurry of slashes, I cut apart the aura of heat so I can make it through without getting severely burned. At this speed, anyone who receives the brunt of this technique would suffer so many cuts that it would look like a storm of pink petals, that fall with the body of the victim.

_Never thought I would use it to carve a path instead. Hope I can keep this up long enough. _I clench my teeth, feeling the effect of overclocking my arm. _And the heat is still overpowering at this distance!_

_It's... her... she's... the cause... _Mokou's voice growls in my mind.

_Use me._ The voice, coming from my left wrist, repeats. _Use me._

The Sakura Falling technique breaks just as I reach her, and my right arm is temporarily useless. "SNAP THE FUCK OUT OF IT, MOKOOOOOOU!"

Without thinking about it, I clench my left and punch her across the face as hard as I can, unconsciously putting all my weight into the strike. Still, the heat sears my knuckles, making me growl to deal with the pain. Thankfully, the fires from Mokou vanishes as she crashes into the ground, letting the rain through to disperse the rest of the heat. She slowly gets up, and her eyes focus on me again.

"Iku...to...?"

"Finally awake, Mokou?" I wince, feeling the hurt in both left and right.

"What... was I..." She clutches at her head. "No... you're... dead..."

_Damn it, she's still hallucinating that I'm dead._ "I'm not dead!"

"This is..." She shakes her head. "You're just..."

She raises a hand, but suddenly the rain increases in intensity, drenching both of us. Still, her attack is still strong enough that I'm forced to slash through it.

_I... don't want... to be... alone..._ Mokou's voice sobs.

_I need to give her some strong shock, but... _My left hand probably has second degree burns from hitting her. _And even if I could pull off another Sakura Falling..._ My right shoulder would be useless afterwards, and I'm not even sure if it would work.

_Use me._ Yuyuko's voice calls once more. _Use me._

"Wait... she's immortal, right?" I ask myself. _Still, I really don't like being forced to resort to this just because of that._ Sidestepping, I cut another one of her attacks.

_Why... why does... it hurt..._

"Let's see what ability you have, Life Eater!" Feeling the Keyblade change, I dash at Mokou and slash down at her arm, in case it actually does cut things off.

Small glowing pink butterflies come out from where I cut, as I expected, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be any effect. On seeing that, I try another few more swings, cutting a few more times on each arm, to no further effect. Mokou swings at me, forcing me to jump back to avoid it and the subsequent increase of heat again. The rain is cooling, so I reduce my temperature to feel its refreshing effect and rest my mind.

_Who is... the one... who caused this... _The anger in Mokou's voice is picking up again.

_Damn it, this kind of time challenge isn't the kind of thing I want to deal with! _I blink away the rain in my eyes. "Huh? Butterflies?"

Life Eater has butterflies fluttering around its length, about the size of Yuyuko's danmaku. They don't seem to go to attack when I swing it in the direction of Mokou, but they do follow Life Eater around. And they don't seem to be affected or have an effect when I lead them into Mokou's fire attack.

_She's... she's the cause..._

_Cut the butterflies. _Yuyuko's voice advises.

"Stop sounding like a hallucination!" I slash them once each.

They split into half, flashing once before fading. At the same time, a glow starts growing around Mokou's arms, increasing in intensity before suddenly exploding as bright pink orbs. Her arms fall to the ground amidst a rain of blood. Mokou flinches, and the heat around her fades once more.

_CHANCE!_ _Didn't expect that sort of effect though. _I run up to Mokou and grab her by the collar. "You... GODDAMN... IDIOOOOOOT!"

I pull my head back and bring it down hard, slamming it into her face. Gritting my teeth to bear the pain, I check her expression. Seeing it still a little unresponsive, I do it again. This time, she gasps, spitting blood. Both of us crash down onto our knees, but I don't release my hold on her.

"I...ku...to?"

"You're not alone, Mokou!" I force out through the pain wracking my body.

"I'm... not?"

"You got me, Keine, Kaguya!" _Hope slipping Kaguya's name in there doesn't backfire! _"You matter to us!"

"I..."

"Shut up and listen to me, damn it!" I jam my face against hers, putting us eye-to-eye. "I hate it when you get hurt fighting Kaguya! I don't want you to keep hurting, even after I'm gone!"

"Ikuto... you're crying..." Mokou whispers.

"It's just the rain!" The emotions in Mokou's heart had triggered mine. "Tell me! You don't want to be alone, right!"

She closes her eyes, sobbing. "I... I... I don't want to..."

"That's because you're human! AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" I repeat. "I'm here! And when I'm not, Keine will be! And when she's not, _Kaguya_ will be!"

"But... but..." Mokou's eyes open slightly.

"I promised you! I won't let you be alone! So live! LIVE FOR US!" I grit my teeth, trying to bear the flood of emotions.

She starts crying, softly at first, but slowly getting louder until she's bawling loudly. Dropping Life Eater, I wrap both arms around her neck and hug her tightly as the rain continues to pour down on us.

"I'm so sorry..." She sobs into my shoulder. "Ikuto... I'm so sorry..."

"Don't... apologize to... me..." _Damn, am I... going to... pass out? _"Tell that... to Kaguya..."

My legs give out on one side, and we fall down to the ground hard, reawakening the pain in my body again. The last thing I see before darkness overtakes me is Mokou's red eyes as she's screaming something I can't hear over the roaring in my ears.

* * *

><p>My entire body hurts when I wake up, but it's less than I expected. The difference compared to that first time is my inability to move my neck. Still, I can control my lips, so I whistle again. But this time, Mokou's suddenly leaning over me.<p>

"Ikuto? You're awake!"

"Water..."

She helps me sit up and drink some water. "You've been out for a day."

_I expected that, given how much my body isn't hurting._ "Your arms?" I ask first.

"They're fine. And shouldn't you be worrying about yourself first?"

"What sort of friend do you take me for?"

"A stupid one." Mokou replies promptly. "But an important one too."

I force a nod, smiling. "But still... I'm pretty beat up..." What I can see of my body has been bandaged.

"A large area of first degree burns all over the front of your body, with second degree burns on your hands." I hear Eirin's voice from the doorway. "Plus pulled muscles in your right arm. You should take care of your body more, Ikuto."

"Ikuto!" Reisen hurries over to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Crappy, but I'll heal."

"Sorry, Ikuto. I caused you to be like this." Mokou apologizes.

I sigh. "I told you, say that to Kaguya. Besides, I caused you to go berserk in the first place, didn't I? That means it's my own fault I got hurt."

"But-!"

"I'm not listening~ Lalala~"

"I see he still has his sense of humor." Eirin observes with amusement. "Perhaps I should increase his dose of medicine."

_Like I said, don't suggest something so dangerous-sounding!_ "Geez, what do you expect me to say? 'You have to be my slave until I recover'? Don't be stupid."

"If that's what you want."

"I told you, don't be stupid." I glare the best I can out the corner of my eyes. "Ah, whatever, just let me rest, okay?"

"You shouldn't even be talking so much, Ikuto." Reisen scolds me gently as she helps me lie down again.

"Yes, yes, I love you too." I close my eyes. "And Mokou, you better be getting along with Kaguya the next time I see you."

"That's..."

"Got. That?" I open my eyes to glare at her again.

"Okay..." I hear Mokou get up. "I'll just leave you for now."

"There's nothing else to do but let him rest and recover. Come on, Udonge."

"Yes, Master. Rest well, Ikuto." Reisen leans over and kisses my forehead.

After what feels like a few minutes, I open my eyes again. "Did that satisfy you enough, Yukari Yakumo?"

"Quite." Her voice answers me just like I expected. "Honestly, your methods really lack finesse," Yukari appears out of a gap above me. "But there's no denying they were effective."

"I'm not exactly the sort of person suited for the soft approach."

"No you aren't." Yukari agrees, "But you've done admirably this time."

_This time?_ "So? If there's anything else, hurry up and say it, because I really want to rest now."

"Two things, actually." Yukari drops the key next to my head. "The youkai rabbits that picked you up forgot to take this. As for the other, I took the liberty of bringing the items you left with the shopkeeper of Kourindou to your room, as well as the item you wanted."

I shut my eyes. "Thanks."

"Rest well, you still have work to do." Yukari advises before leaving.

* * *

><p><em>"How was it, Ikuto?" Komachi prods me awake.<em>

_I show her a thumbs up. "Can't say it was perfect, but it went well."_

_She smiles at me. "That's great then."_

_"Is Iku around here?"_

_Komachi sits down next to me. "I don't think she's coming."_

_"Mm, okay." I sit up and lean onto her. "I don't mind spending time alone with you sometimes."_

_"Wha-?"_

_"Mm, don't move so much..." I murmur drowsily. "Don't know why, but somehow, I'm feeling tired here."_

_"Then you should lie down and sleep properly." Komachi shifts her position, putting my head down on her lap. "Playing games is fine and all, but sometimes, passing time like this isn't so bad."_

_I crack open one eye to see her smiling down at me, a blush coloring her cheeks."Yeah... it's not so bad..." I reply, closing it again._

* * *

><p>When Reisen and Mokou come to remove my bandages, I'm not surprised to find the skin underneath perfectly healed. My right arm is also back to full working condition, though my body's a bit stiff after two days of healing.<p>

"Looks like I owe Eirin more money now." I comment, swinging my arm in circles.

"Don't worry about that, Master said she would clear your debt because of what you did." Reisen glances at Mokou.

I notice that the immortal isn't speaking much. "Still feeling guilty?"

"N-No, why would I?" She stutters, "By the way, about what you said..."

"You want me to say it again?"

Mokou nods. "If you-"

"Hell no. It's embarrassing." I refuse her instantly, making her freeze.

"Ikuto!" Reisen slaps me in the back of my head.

"But it is!" I protest, "I mean, that sort of thing is supposed to be reserved for special occasions."

"You're being insensitive to her feelings, idiot."

I sigh. "How about this then?"

I pull Mokou into a hug in front of Reisen, patting her head gently. When I look at Reisen, she's frozen with shock, while Mokou is too surprised to resist me, and can only mumble nonsensically.

"Wha-, uh, mm, uhh..."

"I-I-I-Ikuto..." Reisen points a trembling finger at me.

I raise an eyebrow. "Yes?"

In the end, she just sighs and leans against me. "You're an idiot, Ikuto."

"But a big-hearted one." Mokou mumbles between us.

"I'll accept that compliment." Then I recall something. "By the way, how are you getting along with Kaguya, Mokou?"

She stiffens a little, but relaxes. "It's still a bit hard not killing her." She admits.

"Then let's try something new, shall we?" I gently nudge the two of them aside and get up, noticing once again that my underpants aren't the pair that I was wearing. "First, clothes..."

Once I'm dressed, I look around and find the pile I'm expecting, plus something extra. The first thing I notice about that new item is a manual on top of it, with a folded piece of paper tucked under the cover. Sighing, I take it out and unfold it to read what's written inside. As I thought, it came from Yukari, in her usual, condescending manner.

_Dear Ikuto, the generator you were expecting probably isn't what you might expect, but I have the utmost confidence that you will figure it out somehow. Especially since I have so generously provided a manual. Oh, and as you may have noticed, you forgot to ask for a TV. No way you can play your game without one, obviously. But of course, we must help each other, mustn't we? (^.^)/ Your friendly Yukari._

I sigh and crumple up the paper. "Damn Yukari. What the hell's with that last part?"

"What's written on that paper, Ikuto?" Reisen asks from behind me.

"Yukari's message." I look at the TV, which is too big for me to carry alone. "I'm going to need help carrying this. Is there a room where we can use?"

"There's one, but shouldn't you have something to eat first?"

"Oh yeah..." I glance at Mokou. "Guess I really should."

I lead the way to the dining room, and slide the door open. Eating together with Eirin, Kaguya and Tewi are... Youmu... and Aya. Instantly, I slide the door back, but just an inch from shutting it, fingers come in through the gap and stop me. The force they exert is inhumanly strong, and the red eye of the owner peers at me through the gap... and crinkles in a grin of frightening proportions. I try using both hands, but more fingers slip into the gap, forcing it even wider...

"Hi there~" Aya greets me cheerily, both hands keeping the door open.

I give her the most 'bleargh' look I can. "Interview?"

"If you would." Her pen and notebook are already ready.

Sighing, I give up on trying to close the door. "A deal is a deal... but, after food!"

"Heh heh, just like before~" She tucks away her tools of journalism.

After we sit down, I watch Kaguya and Mokou from the corner of my eye. Certainly, the atmosphere gets noticeably thicker when they sit across from each other. But the fact that they aren't killing each other is a sure sign of progress.

"Kaguya." Mokou greets Kaguya coolly.

"Mokou." Kaguya responds just as coolly.

"Fine weather today."

"Yes. After that heavy rain two days ago."

I close my eyes for a moment. "So, Youmu, you came here on an errand again today?"

"Actually," She gives me a puzzled expression, "Yuyuko-sama told me I should come here to give you a message, and she said I could spend the night here."

_I bet I know what it is. _"What is that message?"

"She said to say 'you're welcome'."

_Yep, nailed it._ "Hm, tell her 'thanks' when you go back. And also, I'm glad to have you here."

"Same here. But Ikuto," Youmu gives me an angry look. "Why did you get hurt again?"

I notice Mokou freeze next to me. "I was undertaking a request. A very important one."

Youmu doesn't notice Kaguya, who's similarly frozen. "That doesn't mean you have to go and get yourself hurt!"

"I'm sorry, I apologize, please forgive me." I mumble back, bowing my head to her.

I feel Reisen's hand push my head down further. "Really, he gives us nothing but trouble, doesn't he."

"Yes he does." Youmu and Reisen stare at each other.

"...oh, that's right... you're also..." Reisen murmurs to herself, not taking her eyes off Youmu.

"It's harder than I thought..." Youmu nods.

_Ugh... this isn't exactly how I want them to meet. _I think while I'm still facing the floor.

"But, Ikuto, now that you've cleared the princess's request, you're free to marry her." Eirin casually says.

"What? Marriage?" Aya squeals. "This is a scoop! And you have to give me an interview, Ikuto!"

"MARRIAGE?" Youmu slams her hands onto the table. "Ikuto! Explain the meaning of this!"

I think as fast as I can. _Damn it, Eirin! You are a freaking sadist! How to- no wait, the- shit, I can't-_

"Ikuto..." Youmu's voice comes dangerously close.

I look up at her stern expression. _The truth... that's all I can think of right now._ "Well, you see... I didn't want Mokou and Kaguya to keep fighting, so I tried to get them to make up, and Kaguya somehow decided that the whole thing should be like one of her Impossible Requests, which meant that if I managed to clear it, she would marry me, which wasn't exactly the reason that I was doing the whole thing for, but somehow Eirin just decided that I should go through with it, which wasn't what I-"

She blinks. "Ikuto. I didn't get anything of what you said."

Reisen pushes my head down again. "To summarize, the princess said she would marry him if he managed to help her befriend Mokou. Which he did." She translates.

"Yes, that."

"Oh." I hear Youmu return to her seat. "So... are you going to marry her?"

_...Part of me wants to, the other part tells me I might die if I say yes. Then how's this?_ "That's if, and only if, Kaguya loves me."

"Well then, I do." Kaguya's angelic voice somehow sounds like a death sentence being pronounced upon me.

"Kaguya!" Mokou gasps in shock. "In that case, I do too!" I feel her hug me from the side.

"Are you picking a fight with me, _Fujiwara no Mokou_?" Kaguya makes Mokou's name sound like an insult.

"Are you sure you're not the one that's picking a fight, _Kaguya-hime_?" Mokou does the same.

_Hey wait! There's no point to all my work if you fight like this!_ I think as Reisen sighs exasperatedly next to me.

"I...ku...to..." Youmu growls.

"Scoop~ Scoop~!" Aya sings, her scribbling audible even over the distance between us.

_I want to do a Kamijou Touma _(1) _and scream 'Such misfortune!'._ "Heh, heh heh, haha, ahaha, AHAHAHAHAHA! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" I start laughing really loudly, causing everyone to fall silent.

"A~ah, he broke -usa." I hear Tewi mutter.

"FINE! THEN LET'S DECIDE THIS WAY! FOLLOW ME!" I stride out of the room and head for my room, and the rest follow. "WITH THIS!"

The girls crowd around to see the case I'm holding up. "Super... Smash Brothers... Brawl?" Eirin reads.

_Huh, Yukari gave me the English version._ "YES! I WILL MARRY THE ONE WHO WINS IN THIS GAME!" I shout hysterically.

"Wait, what are you up to, Ikuto?" Reisen asks me worriedly, but I ignore her.

"Tewi! Help me set this up!" I command, grabbing the manual off the TV and flipping through it.

"Okay -usa!"

The rest of them watch bewilderedly as I direct Tewi to connect the cables between the TV and the Wii, and plug the controllers in, while I make use of the manual to set up the surprisingly high-tech generator for both machines. Finally, I open the case and slide in the disc, and start the game.

"Okay, now that I'm sufficiently calmed down enough, let me explain a few things." I clear my throat. "But first, let's get this clear. Aya, Eirin, Tewi, you're not competing, right?"

They nod, all three of them smiling in amusement. Aya still keeps on writing notes down.

"So! The main point here is, whoever wins in this game, gets the chance to marry me." I grin as insanely as I can to prevent them from asking questions. "That means, Youmu! Reisen! Mokou! Kaguya! You four will be playing!"

"Wait, Ikuto, that's-" Reisen starts speaking, but I interrupt her.

"No objections! I'm the one whose bachelor life is at stake, being challenged! So I get to decide!" I plant myself down in front of the TV and pick the Brawl mode. "Well, if you don't want to listen to me explain how this works, you can go ahead and admit defeat... and see me marry someone else~"

"He's really gone crazy this time." I hear Reisen whisper.

"_This time?_ What do you mean, 'this time'?" Youmu demands.

"Okay! So first, you move that hand on the screen with this stick..." I start, silencing them.

Despite the earlier ruckus, all of them listen pretty attentively as I go through the motions of explaining attacking, blocking, specials, smashes, items and the stages. Somehow, the Wii I got from Rinnosuke's store seems to have the full data, so every character is already unlocked. When I'm done, I distribute the controllers and put the mode to a twenty minutes timer so they can practice.

"The real thing will start after that." I instruct, and leave the room.

Once outside, I walk over to a pillar a few meters away and start beating my head against it. _That. Was. Totally. Screwed. Up. _I think a word for every time I knock my head against the wood. _Well, the main point was to get Mokou and Kaguya fight it out in games instead of their usual killing way, but how the heck did this happen? Whatever, as long as they reach this result._

"Looks like you had quite the trouble there, didn't you, Ikuto~?"

I lean my head on the pillar and turn to see Aya. "Uh huh. So, interview?"

"Yes, please~"

I tell Aya about how I had to fight Mokou in order to make her get along with Kaguya, glossing over the fact that I broke her in the first place. Even then, she's smart enough to keep probing, making it hard for me until I figure out that she goes for the vaguest details, so when I speak vaguely about how I defeat Mokou, she starts following that trail. Eventually, the interrogation ends, and the two of us return to the room just as the timer's up.

"Okay, so let's go with a new mode." I take the controller from Youmu and set the mode to Stock. "Five lives each. Pick any character you want, but the stage will be random."

"But we only played one character each!" Reisen protests.

"Consider it a test of your abilities." I shrug. "After all, I'm the one who's getting married anyway~ lalala~ Well, I'll answer any questions you might have about each character, so ask away."

Immediately, they start asking one question after another, like abilities, character history, and the like. I answer as normally as I can, but the messiness is making it hard for me to stay sane, and I end up lying more than once just to put an end to the questions. In the end, what's decided is:

Kaguya - Zelda

Mokou - Captain Falcon

Reisen - Lucario

Youmu - Pit

Stage: Skyworld (Pit's stage)

_Hm, there seems to be a link between them and the characters they pick somehow. Too bad for Youmu there's no such thing as a home ground advantage._ I slip to the back to talk to Eirin. "How did they fare during practice?"

"Back to normal already?" Eirin asks jokingly. "Well, so far, Reisen would be the best. Mokou and the princess keep going after each other without caring much about their surroundings, while Youmu is attacking a bit too recklessly."

"I kind of expected that." I reply, watching Reisen charge off the edge and fall out of the screen. "But Youmu's character has better recovery, so she should do just fine."

"Still, Ikuto," Eirin nudges me, "Are you serious about marrying the winner?"

"Of course." I nod, seeing the four girls twitch when they hear my words.

"Can't wait to see how that will turn out -usa." Tewi comments.

Aya smirks. "Looks like Reisen is losing out on this round."

Indeed, the Lucario kept getting knocked aside, especially by Mokou's attacks, while Kaguya was doing admirably well with her dodge and counter tactic. Slowly, the lives of each dwindled, but once in a while, one of the ones closest to a game over would get a Final Smash or all three pieces of the red plane, and even the odds once more.

"Oh nooooo!" Reisen cries, as a Falcon Punch sends her character shooting off to the right, eliminating her last life. "Ah... if only I'd jumped..."

"Got you!" Youmu mashes her buttons, sending Pit to slash at Zelda.

Zelda blocks, and dodges around. "Got _you_!" Kaguya uses the yellow stick and puts an end to Youmu's character.

_So she learned how to do that dodge? No, that was just random moving._ I watch as Mokou and Kaguya face off, each with only one life left.

"I'll be the one to marry Ikuto, Kaguya!" Mokou declares.

"Your brutish character will never defeat my elegant princess!"

The rest of us watch as their characters jump around the stage on the screen, grabbing every possible advantage they can to obtain victory. Even Aya and Tewi are drawn into cheering, especially when a Smash Ball came up, with the two players racing to be the one to break it. Kaguya manages to ascend faster, but Mokou suddenly turns the tables by using her Up Special, and obtains the Final Smash.

"Nooo! Get away from her!" Kaguya's sounding extremely un-ladylike suddenly.

"No chance! You're MINE!" Mokou slams her thumb down on the red button.

The animation plays, and Mokou laughs when Zelda gets run over, and raises both hands up in the air in celebration. Meanwhile, Kaguya is actually _biting_ her sleeve in frustration, and I notice Eirin stifling a chuckle beside me. But now that the winner has been decided, it's time for me to make my move.

"Seven, six, four, three." I read out the rank of kills. "Reisen got the lowest this time."

"Uuu~"

"Well, let's see your skills then, Mokou." I omit two of the players, leaving only me and Mokou playing. "I'm going to pick this guy, Marth. The place, Final Destination."

"Wait, Ikuto, didn't Mokou-" Youmu started to ask.

"Quiet, it's starting."

"Come on then, Ikuto!" Mokou grins at me, still feeling the high from winning... or was it from beating Kaguya?

Whatever the case, I don't go easy on her, using every single skill I know, including those I didn't show them earlier, like dodging, juggling, and instant blocks, to utterly dominate her Captain Falcon. When she's down to her last life, I let her take the Smash Ball, and pick up the baseball bat on the other end instead. Before she can even approach, I throw it, knocking her out of the screen. Final score, five kills, zero deaths, and everyone else is silent.

"Okay, that makes me the winner. I didn't say I couldn't participate anyway, right?" I put down the controller. "Well, since I can't marry myself, I guess that means I'm going to stay single."

The four of them stare at me in complete disbelief while Eirin, Aya and Tewi break out laughing at the back of the group. I take the chance to run while I can, and sure enough, they come chasing moments later.

Lucky I learned how to access Tewi's hideout through the ceiling.

* * *

><p>(1) Main character of Index, he's got extremely bad luck, prompting him to say that phrase quite a lot.<p>

It's surprisingly easy to imagine Mokou choosing to hate Kaguya because she doesn't want to face up to a certain reality. He didn't mean for his plan to work like that, but the basic idea he had was: Confront Mokou with that reality - Make use of that shock to get his idea across - Mokou gets convinced to try getting along with Kaguya. Too bad it went to flames after the second step, but it provided the setting for him to learn more about his weapon.

In a way, I can kind of understand why it might be good for a harem main character to be quite dumb in noticing the feelings of his haremettes. Good thing Ikuto can fall back on the 'insanity' card, but there's no denying the number has increased from two to four.

Super Smash Brothers is a damn fun game. None of my friends want to play it with me because I beat them too easily... and I don't even own a Wii to practice.


	16. Chapter 15X: Dreams of Lunancy

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	17. Chapter 16: Locked & Unlocked Paths

**Previously, after Ikuto is caught by the girls when Tewi sold him out, he joins Eirin in her pharmacy for some tea. However, it's drugged, and he ends up taking her there and then. However, the effects are strong, and he subsequently does the same to Youmu and Reisen. Left drained after Reisen, Ikuto somehow materializes a new Keyblade that revitalizes him. While pondering that matter, Kaguya and Mokou draw him into Kaguya's room, where a special incense made by Eirin drives all three of them into a frenzy...**

* * *

><p>My body hurts.<p>

That's the first thing I notice when I wake up. Particularly... the hips, and down there. Just what had I been- Oh. Everything is coming back now. And if not for the aches, I would have passed it off as one heck of a mind trip after taking some hallucinogenic drug. Or maybe I did go on a mind trip and ended up thrashing my body somehow.

Whatever the case, I was sleeping on my side, something I haven't done in ages.

I crack open an eye.

"Good morning." Kaguya greets me pleasantly, lying naked in front of me.

_Yep, not dreaming. _The feeling of breathing and skin against my back tells me that we're not the only ones in this bed. _Pale white hand, _I focus my one open eye on the arm that's slung over my body, _oh right, Mokou was here too last night._

"Awake, Ikuto?" Mokou's voice confirms her existence.

"...yeah..." _What _can_ I say when I wake up in bed with two women huddled close to me?_

"Last night was really good." Kaguya confides, leaning even closer.

"Yeah." Mokou's arm flexes, pulling herself nearer as well.

"I see..." I close my eye. "I feel like... I got run over. By an entire herd of stampeding bulls. Twice."

"I'm sure Eirin will have something for that."

"No." This time, I open both eyes, giving her the best glare I can manage. "Hell no. I'm currently against taking anything from Eirin, thank you very much."

"But it's thanks to her that you were so good last night." Kaguya's finger strokes my exposed chest playfully.

"I lost count of how many times it was." Mokou's leg rubs against mine.

"..." I push Mokou's arm off me and force myself to get up. "...I'm going to wash myself up."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in bed with us longer?" Mokou tugs on my arm.

"Quite sure." I tell her firmly. "No offence to you girls, but I want- no, _need_ a wash, right now."

"I would think that after what we did last night, the title of 'girls' do not apply to us anymore." Kaguya grabs my other arm. "If you want to leave, you have to give us a kiss each first."

_...They're talking about themselves as a pair? I don't know how to react to this now... Kaguya and Mokou are being _very_ direct all of a sudden._ "You too, Mokou?" I ask the other, and get a nod in reply. _Ah, screw it, just get it over with._

I take Kaguya in my arms, supporting the back of her head with one hand as I kiss her deeply, and hold it for a few seconds. Then I do the same for Mokou, and I think she actually swoons from it. With Kaguya's condition satisfied, I get up and grab my clothes, which have been strewn around the room, dress myself, and take my leave of the two blushing maidens on the futon.

_When the hell did I turn into such a playboy? _I wonder while limping towards the bathroom. _And I owe Reisen an apology... and Eirin... I think I'll punch her when I see her._

In the changing room, I take off my clothes and see a whole bunch of hickeys over my neck and body in the mirror. Eirin's aphrodisiacs were extremely effective, there was no denying that. Sighing, I enter the bathroom.

"I-Ikuto?" I hear someone yelp.

_Who's in here? _I peer around, and finally spot the bob of white hair in the big tub. "Youmu..."

"Auuu~" What I can see of her face is extremely red.

"I'm just here to wash, don't mind me..." I tell her tiredly, not caring about the mutual nudity.

Thankfully, she nods, and I'm able to clean off the dried sweat in peace before I join Youmu in the tub.

"Uhm." We both start at the same time.

"You first." I punctuate it with a look that brooks no arguments.

"...I wasn't the only one last night, right?"

_Yep, the direct question._ "No, you weren't." I admit honestly.

"...I see." Her expression's unreadable. "What's your question?"

"Is it hard to accept, Youmu?" I counter with a direct question of my own.

She stares at me for a while before nodding slightly. "But..." Water splashes as she puts one hand on her chest. "Whenever you take me in your arms, it's easier to handle."

"You just want me to hold you, don't you?" I tease, but put my arm around her and draw her close.

She snuggles up next to me. "Don't spoil the moment."

"Yes, yes." Bringing up my hand, I rest it on top of her head, and she rests it on my shoulder.

* * *

><p>After the bath, the two of us return to my room, and Youmu takes off to pass my message to Yuyuko, saying she wouldn't need breakfast. I spend a few seconds looking in the direction she flew off in before going to the dining room and taking my seat, putting my head down on the edge of the cool wood to enjoy the pleasure of that simple sensation.<p>

"Here -usa." Without looking, I hold out my hand and have a rice ball deposited onto it.

"Thanks." I bring it to my mouth and start eating, not lifting my head the whole time. "So... where were you last night?"

"Outside -usa." Tewi gives me an evasive reply.

"...good for you."

"Enjoyed yourself? I could hear Reisen all the way outside." Her tone was wicked.

I made a long string of unintelligible sounds in reply.

"Oh, there she is -usa. Reisen, I made rice balls for breakfast -usa!" A short pause. "Seeing as everyone else is too tired out to cook."

"Thanks, Tewi." I sense a presence approaching. "Ikuto, are you okay?"

"Next time, read the labels before giving me any drugs." I mumble back, finishing my rice ball. "Tewi, gimme another."

"Sure thing -usa." Another weight drops into my hand.

"And Reisen... I'm sorry about last night. I was hoping for it to be more romantic, not-"

"What are you talking about, Ikuto? Well... I can't really remember what happened after I gave you that medicine, but..."

I twist my head to look at her blushing expression. "But what?" I demand, my exhaustion making me irritable.

"It felt really great. That I can recall." Reisen confides to me in a whisper.

_...Small blessing, perhaps. _"You sure it didn't hurt or anything?"

"A bit." She admits, placing one hand on her lower stomach. "And... back there."

"Oh ho~" Tewi's voice resounds above my head; she's probably leaning over me, watching Reisen with an interested expression. "So Reisen liked the taste of the forbidden fruit -usa?"

"Wait, what do you mean, forbidden fruit? Hey, Tewi! Get back here!" Reisen springs to her feet and bolts after the other rabbit.

"No way!" I hear Tewi's cackling fade into the distance, and Reisen's calls along with it.

_Om Nom Nom..._ I munch on the second rice ball, shutting out all other thoughts for the moment.

"Looks like you had a long night, Ikuto."

Anger flares in me for a moment. "No thanks to you. Every single time had your drugs involved." I reply as evenly as I can.

"...I apologize for that."

Hearing actual remorse in her voice makes me look up. "You should be apologizing to Reisen, Kaguya, Mokou..." I trail off when I see Eirin.

"What?"

_Her braid's been changed to a ponytail... kind of stylish._ "...Nothing. Just apologize to them later."

"...as you wish." Eirin nods, and takes her seat at the table, wincing.

"Sorry about that one." I mumble, having been watching her.

"No need." She waves her hand dismissively. "I did enjoy it after all. And I'll recover eventually."

"You sure?"

She nods, smiling. "After all... being embraced by the one you love is always pleasurable. As you no doubt made me admit last night."

_Funny how the same smile can look so different._ "I thought you'd deny something like that." I reach out for another rice ball.

"Why would I?" Eirin catches my hand and fondles it tenderly for a moment, then lets me go.

"...well, that hairstyle looks good on you." I tell her in a lame attempt to change the subject, and bite down on the food to avoid speaking any further.

"Thank you." She takes a rice ball for herself.

"Iku~to!" Two weights press down on either side of me. "You okay?"

"Yeah... just tired."

"We're challenging you again after breakfast, Ikuto." Mokou nudges me on my right.

"That game again? Didn't you two play all evening yesterday?"

"That is why we are challenging you again." Kaguya sneakily takes my free hand, locking her fingers with mine.

"After lunch... I feel like taking a walk."

"..." Mokou peers at my face from the side. "He's got that look on his face, Kaguya. We won't be able to budge him."

"Giving up so easily? You should at least try!" Kaguya pulls her fingers free.

I sense Mokou bristling. "I've known him longer than you do."

They start squabbling over my head, and I see Eirin smile amusedly as she pours herself some tea. _Really like kids... guess I better take that walk now. Maybe I'll go drop in on Boss, or see if one of the food stalls is already open. _Taking the chance, I roll backwards and bounce to my feet, striding out of the room before they can stop me.

* * *

><p>Boss blinks in surprise when I enter his establishment. "Oh, Ikuto! What brings you here so early?"<p>

"Just wanted to get out of the place for a bit..." I mutter after I've seated myself in front of him.

He raises a questioning eyebrow. "Girl trouble?"

"Totally, utterly, absolutely, correct."

"Here," He sets down a small cup in front of me and pours me some wine. "Go ahead and have some. On the house."

"Thanks." I grab it and down the entire thing in one gulp. "I thought you'd be less in the know about stuff like that, seeing as you're married."

"Hey hey, don't look down on me!" Boss protests, "I dated quite a lot of girls before I came here, you know!"

"That explains it." I nod and hold out the cup. "Give me another."

"That'll be the usual price."

"Guessed as much." I put down the cup and dig out the money. "Here."

"There you go. And one for me too." Boss pours himself a cup after refilling mine.

"Himeko's not going to say anything about you drinking this early?" I ask curiously.

He grins. "My wife won't understand the reason, but she won't know if no one tells her."

"That's right. My lips are sealed." I pick up my cup.

"To the end of girl problems." Boss picks up his.

"To the end of girl problems." _Though that's like utterly impossible._

We clink our cups together and drink. Afterwards, he clears away the cups and stashes away the money with a knowing wink.

"I better be going anyway."

He waves. "Gotcha. Don't be a stranger."

"No way, man. Not with where I'm staying next."

Once I'm outside, I head straight for the school, and spot Keine in the middle of teaching from the outside. From where I am, I wave until she notices me, and sign my intentions to her.

_Will be waiting inside._ I point in the direction of the place where we usually have tea when her teaching schedule matches my errands. _How long?_

Keine quickly flashes five fingers twice. _Ten minutes. Will have a break._

I nod and enter the place, heading for her dining room. Based off my past experience, I know where she keeps the tea leaves and stuff, so I have them ready for her when she finally comes in.

"I set a long problem and told them they could have the rest of the hour off once they're done." Keine arranges her skirt and sits across from me. "Once again, I really appreciate your help with the class syllabus."

"No need to thank me. Besides, Mokou helped too, remember?" We share a smile, remembering the other purpose of that time. "Anyway, I'm here to say that it worked."

"It did? That's wonderful news! I was worrying about it since I haven't had the chance to visit since the last time." Keine leans forward interestedly. "She listened to you?"

"Yes and no." I feel a sense of amusement at seeing her face wrinkle into a puzzled expression. "I... kind of messed up my approach at first."

"Oh dear. What happened?"

I gave her the short version; how my first attempt drove Mokou into an insane rage, and I ended up having to fight her until I finally managed to get her to listen to me, glossing over the fact that I blew off her arms to do so. Keine's shaking her head in disbelief by the time I'm done.

"Really, that was too reckless, Ikuto. You could have been killed."

I nod. "I know. But I couldn't leave her and Kaguya like that."

"I'm just glad you're alright." She takes a sip from her cup. "So, how are they getting along now?"

"Uhh... I think I may have turned Kaguya into a shut-in." I admit sheepishly. "To compensate for their not killing each other, I made them play games instead. It seems like they're somewhat addicted."

"What game is that?"

"It's hard to explain it in detail, but it's some... technology from the outside. You have to see it if you want to know more."

"As long as they're not killing each other, I guess." Keine sighs resignedly. "I'll go visit when I can."

"But actually, they're getting along quite well. I even heard Kaguya use 'us' when talking to me."

She perks up at that bit of news. "Oh? That's quite the progress they've made. Did you do something else other than making them play games?"

"Game." I correct absently. "And what I did... uhhh..."

_No way I can tell Keine 'I just slept with both of them together'._ _Think, how can I explain-_ I'm jarred out of my thoughts by a newspaper shooting in through the open window.

"Oh, it's the tengu's newspaper again." Keine gets up and walks over to where it landed.

_Bad feeling. BAD FEELING._ I tense unintentionally.

"..." Keine's eyes flit back and forth as she takes in the front page article. "Ikuto..."

"Y-y-yes?"

"Could you- I mean, do you _mind_ explaining this?" She asks pleasantly, holding out the paper to me.

'IMMORTAL RIVALS SET ASIDE ENMITY FOR LOVE!' read the header in huge clear font. I take it from Keine gingerly, handling the paper like it's a bomb, and read the article for myself. It's truthful as can be expected from Aya, but as usual, it's her opinions that sink me deeper into hot soup. 'Solve all problems with the power of love'... I can see my reputation among the villagers shooting down even further.

_It's easier to talk to Keine about this than Youmu. _"It's not written here, but when Kaguya asked me to help her befriend Mokou, she claimed it as an Impossible Request."

"And?"

"Clearing it means I get to marry her. Which I tried to refuse by..." I explain the details to her, feeling smaller as I do.

"..." Keine finally sighs exasperatedly after I finish filling in the details that Aya left out. "You... I really have no idea what to say."

"Sorry."

"No, you don't have to apologize." She gives me a crooked smile. "I never realized that Mokou felt that way towards you."

"I thought it was more as family too." I admit. "Or maybe she thought..." I trail off, my mouth working faster than my thoughts.

"Thought what?" Keine asks after a few moments of silence.

"Back then, I told her to live for me. That sounds like a confession of love, doesn't it?"

She sighs again. "I suppose it could. But what about... her?"

I ignored the pause. "She's fine with it." I reply shortly.

"And you? Can you return Mokou's feelings towards you?"

"I can, actually. Though I wonder," I grin cheekily at Keine, "When did you learn so much about love?"

She blushes predictably. "I...I have students who come to me for help."

"Oh ho~? I'd like to hear what sort of advice you give."

Keine swats at the top of my head, missing me when I duck. "Stop making fun of me, Ikuto. Really," She puts her hands on her hips. "You can be so mischievous sometimes."

"I bet you see that a lot between the boys and girls." The words come out without my meaning to.

"Of course, I... do..." Her hands come up to cover her open mouth. "Wait, Ikuto... you don't mean..."

_Uh oh._ "Uhm... the... that's..." I fumble for some way to salvage the situation.

"I...I-I have to get back to my class." Without waiting for my reply, Keine rushes out of the room.

I spend a few seconds staring at the open door she left through. Despite all the others I've slept with, I couldn't tell what Keine thought of me just then. Was her blush leftover from when I teased her? Or was it... I shake those thoughts out of my head and start clearing away the cups.

_I was planning on asking if I could stay with her, but I think I just trashed my chance. Maybe I should stay at Eientei a while longer before asking again._ _No, that's unlikely. _Sighing, I leave the school and head for Hakurei Shrine.

* * *

><p>"So, you're moving out?" Marisa chomps down on a rice cracker. "Where to?"<p>

"I had a place in mind, but I think I might have to change it."

"Why not stay here?" Suika suggests, "I'm sure Reimu would enjoy your company."

I ruffle the oni's hair. "Not unless she makes the offer directly. I'd hate to impose."

"I'd suggest mine, but it's super messy -ze!"

"That's not something to be proud about, Marisa." Reimu walks out, bringing more snacks for us. "What were you talking about?"

"Ikuto's- Mmmph!" I cover Suika's mouth.

"It's nothing much. Just something I want to handle alone." I smile cheerfully, ignoring the flailing oni in my grasp. "Ow! Suika, don't bite me!"

"Grr!" Suika growls with mock ferocity as she gnaws down.

The shrine maiden sits down next to Marisa. "They get along really well, don't you think?"

"Like they're made for each other -ze."

Suika finally releases me to take another drink from her gourd while I nurse my hand. She didn't break the skin, but it still hurts a lot. When I look at the one responsible, she gives me a triumphant look.

"That'll teach ya not to do that again." She grins.

"Meh, fine." I take a drink of tea. "Oh yeah, Reimu, did Remilia come by a few days ago?"

"Remilia?" Reimu asks in surprise, "Yes, she did. How did you know?"

"Ran into her when I was at her place for a delivery. Last I saw of her, she was headed over here."

She nods. "You're right about that. She came by asking about you, actually."

"Me?" _That's to be expected, I guess._ "What about?"

"Nothing much, really. I can't recall what they were."

"Think she loves you like the others?" Marisa teases, nudging me with her elbow.

"You're joking." I poke her back in retaliation. "I only met her that one time. What about you, you sure you're not in love with the librarian over there? Since you go over so often."

"Heh, I go to borrow books only -ze!" Marisa ceases her attack.

"Steal, more like." Reimu jabs.

Marisa dismisses that accusation with a wave of her hand. "No, no! It's borrowing! They can have it back when I'm dead -ze!"

"All those who think it's stealing, raise your hand." I lift mine up.

"Wai- Ikuto?" Marisa looks around at us. "Suika? Even you, Reimu?"

I lower my hand first. "At least return the books you're done with once in a while."

"But I might need them in future!" She protests.

"Ikuto's right, you don't need them _now_." Reimu lends her voice to my cause. "Honestly, Marisa, if you returned what you 'borrow', you might not need to sneak in all the time."

"Ahh! You people are just bullying me!" Marisa jumps to her feet and grabs her hat. "I'm going to borrow some more, just to spite you! Bleh!" She sticks her tongue out at us, dons her hat, and flies off on her broom.

"Carefree as usual." Reimu shifts closer, taking the spot the witch vacated. "Here, have some more."

I grab two rice crackers from the offered tray. "Thanks. Suika?"

"Yeah, gimme one too~" She leans forward and attacks the one I hold out to her, without taking it from me.

"Marisa doesn't listen, does she." I bite into mine and chew it before continuing. "But she's a good friend."

"Yes, she is."

"By the way, what do you think about Aya's article?" _This might be a good way to test the waters._

"Hmm... I have to say that you did a good job of resolving that incident."

_Not exactly what I expected as an answer._ "Imagine if you tried that method when you deal with your own incidents." I joke.

"I think the only one who can manage doing that over and over is you."

"But you don't resolve incidents all the time, right?" _Maybe I'll ask her directly... next time._

Her snack finished, Suika lies back and tosses her gourd in the air. "The main part of Reimu's daily routine is to serve Marisa tea when she comes."

"It is not!" Reimu sets down her cup hard. "I do have other duties!"

"Like checking an empty donation box." The oni sniggers.

The atmosphere turns ominous. "Suika..." I pat the human girl on top of her hair. "What?"

I shake my head. "It's not empty, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Suika slaps my back lightly. "Ya have someone who donates now."

I take my hand off Reimu's head. "Sure is nice, isn't it?"

She nods. "But some more would be better..." Reimu says wistfully.

"That's it!" I clap my hands together. "A festival!"

"What?" Both of the girls ask.

"It's nearly mid-autumn, so most of the farmers shouldn't have anything much to do." I stretch my hand out, shading my eyes from the sun as though trying to grab it. "So just hold a festival up here. A shrine should have some festivals, right?"

"Ohh!" Reimu clenches her fists. "I see! Then I could make money off fortunes and stuff!"

_Uh, she caught on _TOO_ fast._ "Better prepare properly, though." I warn.

"Wonder how much I could make..." Her eyes tell me that she isn't listening.

"I think the number of onis here just increased..."

Suika chuckles next to me. "Sounds like it'll be fun~"

"Reimu. Reimu!" I call her again when she doesn't listen.

She finally snaps out of her money-filled fantasy. "What?"

"You need to tell the villagers when's the date. Maybe you should ask Keine for help. She's quite familiar with them, right?"

"That's a good idea. I'll go talk to her right now!" Reimu leaps to her feet.

"Wait wait wait!" I barely manage to catch her before she flies off. "When exactly are you planning on having it?"

"Uh... The day after tomorrow!" She suggests after a moment's thought.

_The lack of careful consideration is making me think that I was mistaken to suggest this. _"And the reason? What stuff are you going to have here?" I throw out to make her think some more. "You don't want this to go wrong, do you?"

"Haa..." She slumps, realizing that I'm right. "I'll go think it over first then."

Hearing that, I let go. "Good."

With Reimu gone, only Suika and I are left. "You do know," Suika pokes me in the back, "That with all the stuff she needs to prepare, y'won't be able to stay here, right?"

_Oh yeah..._ "Uh... guess I better find some alternative then. Gotta go."

"Gotcha." The oni waves goodbye. "I'll let you know when things're ready."

"Thanks." I toss some coins into the box before I leave.

* * *

><p>"Interesting exploits you have." Akyuu comments, indicating Aya's newspaper. "I can understand why you might be interesting, but you certainly do have a way with the ladies as well."<p>

"Come on, stop teasing me." I sit down on the veranda. "Sorry, I didn't bring enough money with me to buy the usual snacks, and I forgot to bring the scroll you lent me."

"It's no problem. Just bring it the next time." The young girl resumes writing. "So, judging by the time between this one and the previous article, you are going to move on to another place, right?"

_Woah, she's the first one to figure it out?_ "Yes, you're right."

"So, may I know where you're going to next?"

"Not really sure yet..."

Akyuu gives me a smile, setting down her brush. "I can tell by your expression. Your plans were disrupted, were they not?"

"Yeah..." I facepalm.

"And you're trying to think of an alternative."

"Yes..."

"Have you tried the Myouren Temple?"

"Not yet... but maybe..." I rub my chin with my left hand.

She picks up her brush again. "There's no harm in trying."

"I guess I will then. Thanks for the suggestion."

However, when I leave the Hieda household, I head in the opposite direction of Myouren Temple. The reason for that is because I recalled something when I touched my chin earlier. The chips on the chain had increased, just as I thought it would. Except that with its lack of presence, I ended up forgetting about it until now. And the best place to see what new forms I've been granted would be the Forest of Magic.

_No way I can try them out against Cirno with the level she's at now._ I take a few steps past Rinnosuke's shop before I make an about-turn and enter it. _Need to say thanks for the game console stuff._

"Morichika-san, you're in, aren't you?" I knock before entering, as usual.

"Oh, Ikuto. I didn't expect you to come at a time like this." Rinnosuke puts down his book. "I'll prepare some tea."

"Ah, no need." I stop him. "I'm expected back for lunch, so I can't stay long. I'm only here to say thanks again for letting me have those items."

"I see. You're welcome. Do come by again soon." Once he realizes that I'm not planning to stay, he goes back to reading.

"Excuse me then."

_Really, a bit lacking in the shopkeeper attitude. But considering that he's more of a collector..._ Shaking that thought from my mind, I look at the entrance to the Forest of Magic. _Can't get distracted here... there are other dangers besides the few youkai._ _Hopefully the dangerous areas haven't shifted._

Tying a handkerchief over my face, I step into the dark shade of the place. I've been inside a few times before, when Eirin sent me and Reisen to collect ingredients for her medicines. But this is the first time I'm going in alone. As can be expected, it's quite humid, and I lower my body temperature to prevent too much sweating.

_Wonder where Marisa's house is though..._ I continue down the rough path until it finally vanishes under the growth. _Better not try to look for it. For now, let's start the experimenting._ I confirm that there aren't any hallucinogenic mushrooms nearby first.

First, I examine the new chips that had appeared on the chain. The five-colored one probably corresponds to Kaguya, while the one with a small, but obvious outline of a red bird is for Mokou. Eirin's would be the cross divided into four areas of red and blue like her clothes, and Reisen's... a red eye within a white circle. All of them match the girls.

_First up, Mokou's._ I don't really recall how it was like when I slept with her due to the influence of Eirin's drugs, but the memory that stands out the most is when I embraced her in the rain, recognizing her existence. Instantly, the key in my hand changes shape.

The first thing that stands out is the bit at the end. Similar to Life Eater, it's a single wing of crimson feathers, while the long shaft is a smooth red rod that has a inner yellow glow. As for the head, it's dark red, like the color of her leggings, blockish in shape as the hilt widens out to the end in a symmetrical trapezoid, and two of Mokou's anti-flame talismans pasted on each side of the outer sections. And the keychain... is a phoenix with its wings spread open.

_Ability test._ The Keyblade responds easily, wreathing me in fire that does not burn. But neither does it burn whatever I touch the flame to. _Hmm... a sacrifice is needed, it seems._ I bring my thumb to my mouth, and bite down until it bleeds. Instantly, the fire gathers at the wound, making it sting for a moment, and when it fades, the skin is totally healed. _A healing flame, I see. Is there anything else?_ _Let's try a fireball! _The fire collects at the end of the Keyblade like I will it to, but it doesn't shoot away. However, this time it does scorch the wood I touch it to. _Okay, let's leave it at this for now._

"What should I name you...?" _Should I do that same thing with Phantom Blossom and Life Eater?_ I hold it up, the fire licking along its length. _Don't think so, I'll just think of Mokou as I name it._ "Your large fires don't hurt easily, they're meant to support. Hmm... no, that would be too much of a mouthful, so... that's it, you're Blaze Revive."

The keychain flashes, and the phoenix now has a brightly flickering glow within its chest.

_Next, Reisen's._ The bit is a small red circle within two rings, with two lines passing through the center at a perpendicular angle, resembling a shooting target. The gray octagonal shaft is slightly more than half the length of Blaze Revive, around the span of my chest, with a small red bulb at its end, and the head has a clearly utilitarian aura to its hexagonal form, being so small that only one hand can grip the rough handle. _Is this meant to shoot? And the keychain... a flat picture of a moon with a red eye on it, like what was on the chip._

Unlike what its appearance indicated, this form did not fire anything when I point it at a random target. And when I try to cut a twig with it, the shaft doesn't pass through. _It's hard to handle... but I suppose, serious like Reisen?_ _That means... I have to be serious about this?_ This time, I aim carefully at a knot on a tree and picture what I want.

"Shoot." Instantly, a red bolt fires out the end and strikes the knot dead center, chipping it slightly.

It's indeed hard to handle, plus aiming it straight in front of me makes my wrist ache, but the focus exercises Mokou taught me to control my temperature helps greatly. Still, just one bullet isn't enough for me to engage in the danmaku play the girls do, but I believe that this isn't all there is to it; it's quite like a sniper rifle, so if I focus carefully around myself... It works! My outline is blurred slightly, and I can almost see through my arm.

"Control of the wavelengths... bullets... so..." The Keyblade quivers in my hand. "You don't want to be named yet?"

_That's seriously strange... Well, let's go on to the next. _This one is harder, but the feeling of elegance comes to me in the end, despite being slightly marred by the events of last night. Still, it fights me, refusing to show its form. _Am I missing something here?... Ah! Her history! _I focus once more, putting my image of the moon and the human world that Kaguya first experienced. _Still not yet? Oh wait, her Impossible Requests! Dragon jewel... Buddha's bowl... Hourai Branch... Fire rat's robe... what was the last one... oh yeah, Swallow's cowrie!_

The Keyblade shimmers, and settles into a new shape. The bit is a light blue crystal within a thick grey ring, while the round shaft is a dark woody color, with five small balls ringing the base, each one corresponding to one color of those on Kaguya's Hourai Branch. Finally, the head, a perfect ring of red, with a shiny black handle that's dotted with white spots. As for the keychain... a pentagon divided into five sections of white, black, blue, red and brown.

_To be honest... the color arrangement seems kind of off to me. _I stare at it for a while. _But it's not my place to make comments about it. What can this do? The length's a bit thick... doesn't seem like it's meant to cut, but... _I swing it through a tree trunk, _it passes through without an effect. Unlike Mokou's or Reisen's, I have no idea what sort of possible ability this might have._ A few minutes pass while I ponder about what secrets lie hidden in this odd Keyblade. _Well, maybe I'll ask Kaguya to show me some of her spell cards? For now..._

"Do you want a name?" I ask, feeling a bit foolish at first, but feel the strange vibration from it. "You do? Then..." I think carefully. _Treasures, five, requests? _"This is tough... wait, these were originally Kaguya's... so... Eternal Inheritance."

The keychain doesn't flash, but glows softly instead. _The same reserved reaction that I'd expect from Kaguya, even though this whole thing is quite attention-drawing. Now finally, Eirin's._

Just as I'm about to try bringing it out, someone speaks from behind. "What are you doing in this Forest?"

_Vaguely familiar..._ I turn around and see Alice Margatroid standing some distance away. "Oh, Alice-san." I pull off the handkerchief to show my face.

She registers surprise at seeing me. "Who're... Ikuto? Why are you here of all places?"

I hold up Eternal Inheritance. "I'm doing some, uh... training."

"Then why were you wearing a handkerchief over your face? You looked very suspicious."

"Precaution against those hallucinogenic spores. Are you heading for the village?"

"I was." Alice makes no effort to move. "I must admit that I'm intrigued by your weapon."

Instantly, my senses sharpen. I study her appearance carefully. _Blond hair with red headband, blue dress with white... what's it called... on top, pink belt, grimoire in her left, brown boots, and..._ I tense up further, _Shanghai's nowhere to be seen._ "You read about it from Aya's article, didn't you?"

"Yes, that reporter's newspaper described it quite clearly. A black, key-shaped weapon that you wield like a sword." Alice focuses her eyes on the one in my hand. "What you're holding doesn't look like it at all. Is it a new weapon?"

"It has different forms." I hold it up and switch it to Future Gazer. "This is the one you're thinking of."

"Interesting... the article didn't mention it being able to change forms. Then again, it was written quite a while back." This time, her attention is directed inwards as she speaks. "Could this be able to help my research?"

_RECKLESS IDEA INCOMING!_ "Uh, Alice-san," I get her to look back at me again. "If you like, how about a small match? You can experience it for yourself then." _I'm so gonna get owned._

"A match? Ah, you wish to challenge me?"

I nod, already scanning the surroundings.

"Then I accept. What conditions do you wish to have on our battle?"

"I guess..." I think carefully. "No spell cards, since I can't use them. Continue until... either of us admit defeat or three clean hits?"

"Clean hits?" She doesn't understand what I mean, but nods in understanding once I explain it to her. "Ah, I see. That's fine with me."

"Then, whenever you're ready." I settle into a ready position.

"Let us begin then."

It happens so suddenly that I nearly freeze in surprise; three different dolls materialize simultaneously, heading straight for me with lances as Alice makes a throwing motion with her right. I quickly dodge my way through with Phantom Blossom, and leave a single cut on each with Life Eater as I rush through, heading straight for the puppeteer.

She spreads her arms wide, and four more similar-looking dolls spin out from behind her with lances of their own. Seeing the leftmost one stop spinning first, I cut to the right, avoiding the points as they jab into the place I was a moment ago. Shooting a glance over my shoulder, I notice the first three already moving towards me, their weapons suddenly morphing into swords.

_Let's see how many she can handle._ The second batch of dolls faded back into their owner when their attack was done, but Alice simply set out some more. _No weapons, that means these ones are ranged attacks._ I circle around backwards, putting more distance between us. _Akyuu's info was right; she's got a whole bunch of strategies against me already. But I've got mine too._

I dodge around the sword dolls, but as I expected, they scatter to let the ranged ones fire bullets. I skip backwards from those rainbow-colored shots until they fade, making sure to note the range. But the sword dolls don't converge immediately; another gesture from Alice, and an unarmed doll suddenly shoots straight towards me. I quickly stab it with Life Eater and dodge the bullets it fires out, continuing in the circular arc towards the other side of Alice. That doll doesn't go back to her, but pursues me along with the others.

"Your attacks don't seem to be affecting my dolls." Alice calls out to me as she finally starts to move, keeping a safe distance away from me. "It's disadvantageous for you, isn't it?"

"Too early to tell!" I channel Phantom Blossom's power into my legs and dash straight for her. _The butterflies don't vanish when I switch forms, good._ "HAH!"

Her expression shows that my sudden approach is a surprise to her, but she recovers quickly, jerking the arm with the book outwards. A shield-carrying doll slips out from under her elbow to block my slash, and easily pushes me off. But when the shield moves out of the way, there's a second doll waiting with a lance behind it.

_Woah!_ I quickly parry the flurry of stabs. _This is like playing those trading card games with traps and stuff! I suck at those!_ I back away, keeping an eye out for the other four dolls, but this time, Alice approaches me, materializing more dolls with lances to keep up the pressure.

The other four are closing in quickly, so I enlist Phantom Blossom's power again to widen the distance, putting me deeper into the shade of the trees. Seeing that, Alice stops and smiles, making a tugging motion with her fingers. The feel of moving air on the dry skin on the back of my neck is warning enough; I quickly crouch into a spin, cutting down a doll that was spinning with a sword. When did she set that one? If not for my temperature control, I'd be sweaty and unable to feel that.

"So you can cut my dolls after all. Then why didn't you..." Alice's eyes widen as she realizes that I have a trap as well. "Bombs? Then it's no use; I'm not bringing those close to me!"

_Wrong trap._ I let the four dolls cluster close, then cut down the butterflies, closing one eye as I do. They get swallowed up in a bright burst of pink light, blinding my open eye. _Now, switch to Reisen's, and camouflage!_ I crouch down quickly and grab a small stone, chucking it at a tree to my right.

"There, your trap failed. And it's no use hiding!" She sends more dolls in the direction of the sound from the stone hitting the tree. "I might not be able to see where you went, but my dolls will flush you out easily."

_Like I said, wrong trap._ I open my other eye now. _Your eyes should have been adapted to the darkness, so that flash should have prevented you from seeing that I didn't move at all._ I take aim carefully as Alice starts working her fingers, making the dolls dart behind the trees to my right. _Target, left thigh. SHOOT!_

She staggers when the shot strikes her thigh, but as before, her skills as a puppeteer did not falter in the least; three dolls instantly spring out and form a magic circle to defend against my next shot. Seeing that, I shed my camouflage and dash to the left as fast as I can, putting more distance between me and the ones she sent out. I've revealed my ranged attack card already, so if I'm going to land any more hits, it'll have to be with close-range attacks.

"That's one hit for you." Alice calls out to me, wobbling slightly as she tries to stand on her injured leg. "That was a well-executed strategy."

"Thanks!" I rush at her from behind. _She'll probably expect me to do this._ _So let's see how she reacts to a feint._

"You shouldn't let your opponent know where you're coming from." A doll comes at me low, aiming for my legs.

"Not if I want that to happen." I reply, tossing the rock in my left at the doll and cutting the butterfly with my right. "Makes it easier to direct your counters."

"Very true." Without turning, she sends out the four lance dolls again to replace the one I just blew up.

_Fast reactions once again._ _And I'm too far committed to dodge. Might as well try that defense move._ I dig the tip of Phantom Blossom into the ground. _This isn't Scattered Cherryblossoms anymore. It resembles that move too much._

"Shigure Souen Ryuu! Sakamaku Ame! (1)" A wave of pink petals burst from the ground in the wake of my upward swing.

"What!" Alice quickly jumps forward as her attacking dolls are shredded by the wave. "Interesting defense move! But you've left yourself open!"

The petals fade to reveal a doll whirling straight towards me, courtesy of Alice, whose throwing pose resembles a baseball pitcher. _Oh, shit. _I think to myself as the doll starts to glow a dangerous orange. _That's one of her bomb dolls. Forget three hits, I'm dead already._

Something envelops me as the Keyblade in my hand changes, as the outline of the doll collapses in on itself, and unleashes an explosive burst of destruction point blank in front of me. However, I don't feel any pain, only a heavy pressure that sends me flying back against a tree, which is the impact that hurts. I struggle to stay on my feet as I try to blink the spots out of my vision.

_Woah, what happened? _I focus on my Keyblade first, since I'm holding it up in case of any further attacks. _Eternal Inheritance? Why did it... Woah!_ I finally notice the red coat on my body. _Where did this come from?_ _Unless..._ I thank Kaguya silently for that protection as the cloth is suddenly sucked back into my weapon in a flash of red.

"You're unhurt?" Alice is standing quite a ways from where I landed. "I'm surprised you managed to block that."

"I didn't block it..." I wince, feeling the pain in my back. "That makes one hit for both of us now."

"Two for me." Alice states, and something pierces me in my left arm.

"GAAAH!" I swat the doll away, but the damage done is severe. _Damn! That blast left me open too much!_

"Do you wish to admit your loss?" The position of her hand tells me that there are more dolls waiting to finish what the earlier one started.

"Heh... haven't you read the storybooks?..." I grit my teeth, not daring to check the extent of the wound. "They don't have... characters who give up... halfway through!" Fire explodes around me, and Alice hesitates long enough for it to mend my arm, though it hurts like crazy.

"Flames? How are you able to- No matter, they won't protect you from long range attacks."

Three dolls float in a circle around her, and at a single gesture from her, all three put their tiny hands together, collecting a pinkish light in front of them. I recognize it as her SP Dolls move, and quickly roll aside moments before the beams tear through the tree I was standing in front of moments ago. But I'm still not out of danger yet; more dolls are coming around with swords and lances to score the final hit.

_I can't see the strings, probably because they're magic strings... _Then I recall something Marisa once told me. _Manipulation magic like hers usually involves a constant flow and rhythm... so I just have to disrupt it!_ I raise Blaze Revive into the air, and it readily changes into the form that can fulfill that role. _Now I know why you didn't want a name earlier! You wanted to be named with regards to this ability!_

"Let's show her what you can do, Wavebreaker!" The keychain flashes brighter than I've ever seen, and the eye on it is now surrounded by four arcs that form a broken circle. "Dissonance Burst!"

I strike down at the ground, and a silent shockwave bursts from my position. As it travels outwards, the trees it passes through shake slightly, and Alice's dolls grind to a halt in midair, and slump down like hanged corpses. Not passing up the chance, I run straight at Alice, raising my weapon for a slash.

"Tsk!" The shield doll comes out again, but this time, Wavebreaker's strike disables the doll's control, allowing me to knock it aside. "Not yet!"

"Wha-!" I wheeze a little when she slips into my range, ramming her shoulder against my arm and locking it against my chest.

"Just because my short range isn't good, doesn't mean I can't do anything!" Alice leans back slightly, winding her fist up for a blow.

_Can't swing properly!_ I twist as much as I can manage and manage to bend my arm for a stab that would only score a glancing hit at best. _I'll get more dolls if I try to get some distance for a proper blow! Damn! Hope this is enough to force her back!_

Once again, I feel the grip in my hand change, but I stab before I can stop myself. Surprisingly, the shaft is short enough to fit; the point of the Keyblade presses against her chest, making both of us freeze in surprise, me because of the new Keyblade, she because I managed to land the hit. Then I realize, this was the form I somehow summoned last night, with a familiar raised section beneath my thumb.

Alice recovers her composure quickly. "Two for you, but... it's my win!"

I tense up out of reflex, and my thumb presses the button down with a click. Her body jerks and stops, her fist inches from hitting me. Then, with her eyes still opened wide in shock, she collapses against me, and I drop my weapon to catch her.

"H-Hey! Alice-san! What's wrong!" I shake her gently, but she doesn't respond. "Come on, say something!"

I lay her down gently and check her eyes. They're open, but unseeing, and when I listen at her chest, her heartbeat is still strong. _What did I do? That Keyblade... what did it do to her? Shit, I can't waste time here! Who... Marisa? No, she won't be at home, and I don't know where her place is! Rinnosuke? I don't know if he can... Eirin!_ I retrieve my key and tuck it away, and carefully pick Alice up in my arms. _Her dolls... they're gone? Except... the one with the shield. Better bring that along too._

I crouch down again to get that doll, putting it on Alice's body before getting up and running off in the direction of Eientei, taking care not to knock the limp body of the magician into any of the trees.

* * *

><p>(1) Shower in Late Autumn, Blue Swallow Style: Rolling Rain. Once again, another move from Reborn.<p>

Thinking up a name for Kaguya's one is really difficult, but I'm sure it's easy enough to predict what sort of ability Eternal Inheritance gives.

I already have a name thought up for Eirin's Keyblade. As for its function, there's a bit of borrowing from another shounen series, but it's quite innovative.

Really, it's so much easier to write these sort of chapters than bedroom scenes XD

Ikuto's initial plan to stay with Keine has bombed! And it's the same with Reimu! So... Myouren Temple? Or maybe Alice?


	18. Chapter 17: The Puppet and Misty Waters

"EIRIN! EIRIN! HELP, EIRIN!" I yell the moment I can see Eientei.

Thankfully, she's nearby enough to hear me. "Ikuto, what's the mat-! Bring her to my pharmacy, now!"

I do as she says, placing Alice on the bed there and stepping aside for Eirin to examine her. Eirin's movements are quick and precise, checking all of the body's responses within a short period of time. After a few tense minutes, she steps back and gives me a tired look.

"From the way you were shouting, I thought she had some fatal wound."

"Then she's..."

Eirin nods. "She's fine, just sleeping."

_Gah, that means I overreacted. _"That's not what it looked like when she collapsed."

"What did you do then?"

I brought out the Keyblade that was responsible. "I'm not sure myself, I just used this."

Of all the Keyblades so far, this one is the shortest, twice the length of the dagger I used in my Arnis training, which is about the length of my arm. The bit isn't anything eye-catching, the entire thing resembling the sight on the end of a silver rifle barrel. At the base of the shaft, there's something like a square nut, black in color. As for the head, it's a thick square-shaped silver frame, with the black handle slightly bigger than one hand with one button at each end. Like the chip, the keychain's a cross divided into four sections of blue and red.

"I've never seen you use that before."

"It's a new one." I explain how I pushed the trigger when the point of it was against Alice's chest. "Then she just froze up and collapsed."

"Let's see what happens when you press the button. Do it on the table over there."

I aim and press, but nothing happens. "Nothing. But it really did happen!" I insist in defense to her somber expression.

"Looks like we'll need to examine that in further detail. Follow me." Eirin leads the way out of the pharmacy. "Don't worry about her, she'll be fine."

"That's good then." I mutter in relief.

She brings me to one of the storerooms used for keeping Lunarian objects, and digs around the shelves inside for a few minutes before coming to me with a small box-like object with a cable running out of it. At the end of the cable is a small disc the size of my palm.

"A scanner?"

"Yes. Good thing I've got something like this." Eirin kneels and sets the box down, and passes me the disc. "Hold that against the weapon."

"Alright." I start from the bit.

The box glows and puts out a light display with all sorts of strange characters. _Lunarian script? My first time seeing them. _I watch her as she starts tapping it, handling a piece of technology that would have made any engineer in my time sell his soul to be able to make. _Doesn't look like she's forgotten how to use that in the least._

"Ikuto... this is... your weapon, right?" Eirin asks me haltingly, not taking her eyes off the disply.

"Yes. One of its forms, at least."

"Then how..." She shakes her head. "Move the disc to a different part."

I do as she says, moving it to the hilt. Her expression grows even more troubled, and she starts tapping the display even faster, murmuring to herself. At further commands from her, I move the disc around some more, until she finally looks up at me.

"I've never seen anything like your weapon. Did you really get this from Yukari?"

"It didn't come to me like this." I fill her in on how the key's ability is something that supposedly _I_ defined. "It's quite hard for me to even explain how this works."

"Its structure is like magic, yet it's not." Eirin reaches out and taps the bit. "But this is a piece of technology similar to those on the Moon."

"Woah." I say in reply, not sure how to respond to that.

"This part is something you'd call an omnisensor." She puts her hand in front of the tip. "According to the scanner, it can differentiate between the user's enemies and allies."

"So, you're saying I somehow saw Alice as an enemy, and it attacked her? How?"

"Needles. This... Keyblade, as you call it, fires tiny needles that lodge in the body of its target. You're lucky they're made of a material that dissolves after a while."

"You mean, I might have killed Alice?" _Frightening thought._

"Possibly. But magicians are much stronger than humans, so I doubt she was in any risk." Eirin moves her hand over to the head. "Then there's this part."

"What about it?"

Turning back to the Lunarian scanner, she taps at a few points until what looks like an X-ray scan of the thing appears. "You can see for yourself."

"Capsules? And inside are... drugs?" I count four of them.

"Very potent ones." Eirin points at the leftmost one. "Based on the scan, two of them were used."

_That's one heck of a scanner. _"But I only used this Keyblade today! ...actually, wait, I did somehow bring it out last night... it kind of recharged my body."

"Recovery medicine." She points to the one to the right side. "As for this one... it seems like it'll only be used when the scanner detects the target's heart."

"What is it?"

Eirin gives me an odd look. "...let's just put it this way, if you had used it when trying to get Mokou to get along with Kaguya, she would have been much, much more agreeable."

_...That's one crazy drug, I'd better be careful not to use it again._ "How much did I give Alice then?"

"Quite little actually, due to the needles' size."

"But you said they were potent."

Eirin nods. "There's no telling the extent of the effects. I advise keeping her under close watch just in case."

"I see..." I point at the remaining two. "Then these?"

"To describe them simply, one would boost your physical abilities, and the other would reduce them. I would advise using them carefully due to how strong they are."

"So... two for, two against..."

"Yes." Eirin picks up the scanner and moves to put it back. "You'd best look in on that girl. Don't worry about lunch, I'll save some for you and her."

"Thanks." I pick up the Keyblade, letting it revert to the same key that Yukari gave me so long ago.

"Oh, Ikuto..." She comes back after shelving it. "When are you planning on leaving?"

"Not exactly sure yet. My initial plan was disrupted, so..."

Eirin interrupts me. "But soon, right?"

I nod as I tuck away the key and stand up. "Yeah."

"I see. You'll come back sometimes, of course?"

"Need you ask?" I grin at her.

She pokes me with her elbow, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "You'd better."

"Yes, yes. I'll come back from time to time." This time, I say it clearly. "Well, I better go check on Alice."

"I'll let the princess know." Smiling, Eirin opens the door and leaves first, but suddenly sticks her head back in. "Oh yes, have you named that weapon yet?"

"Yeah, Burst Needle." _Simple and straightforward._

When I return to the pharmacy, Alice is still asleep there, with her doll lying next to her. I pull a chair up next to the bed and sit down, and watch her sleeping face.

_Looks so peaceful... hard to imagine we were fighting so seriously earlier. _I prod the doll, then pick it up, examining her handiwork. _Extremely well made. Even though I have no experience in sewing and stuff, the fabric and stitching all scream that this is high quality._

"Uuu..." Alice moans, making me start in surprise.

I put the doll down hurriedly and lean over her. "Alice-san? Alice-san?"

"Uhh... wh-what?" She cracks open her eyes. "Where am... Hhh!"

Alice pushes herself up and scrambles back from me in shock, and I quickly back away to avoid startling her any further.

"What- where am I?" Her expression is bordering on hostility. "What did you do?"

"Eientei. I brought you here after you fainted."

"I... fainted?" Alice finally relaxes. "I remember now... so you still had something left after that last hit."

"I'm so sorry!" I bow my head down to her. "I didn't know it would be like that!"

"What?"

"It's my first time using that weapon." I explain, not mentioning that I already used it last night. "I didn't know what it would do."

I don't raise my head at all, waiting for her to say something. After a long agonizing silence, she finally does. "Testing out a new creation... I've done such things myself. Please, raise your head."

I do as she says. "Actually though, I can't really call it a creation. I just receive them when certain conditions are fulfilled."

"What conditions?" Alice's dark eyes study my face with clear curiosity.

_Uh... tell her the truth? ...NO._ "I'm not too clear on them yet." I evade.

"In any case," She inclines her head towards me. "I owe you my thanks for taking care of me. As well as my doll."

"No, no, it's normal to do things like that." I point at the doll. "She's really well made."

"Thank you." Alice smiles, cradling the doll in her hands.

"She's got a name?"

She seems surprised to hear me ask. "Why yes, this is Shanghai." With a few finger movements, she makes the doll stand up and curtsy.

"Pleasure to meet her." _It's really easy to speak to a doll... considering how it's moving and the fact that I've greeted some fairies and stuff._ "Anyway, I'd like to ask something."

"What is it?"

"When you first saw my weapon, you said it might be able to help your research. Do you really think so?" _Hope this works._

"It might be able to." Alice replies thoughtfully, her eyes distant. "But it might take a lot of time..."

"Then, can I offer my assistance in that? Consider it a way to make up for knocking you out."

She sighs. "Really, that isn't something you need to make up for... But," She looks away uncomfortably, "If you really insist on doing so... then I accept."

_Yay!_ I duck my head to hide the fact that I'm fighting to keep from showing a triumphant expression. "Then I'm in your care from now on. If it's possible... could I stay with you?"

"WHAT?" She gasps.

_Oops, went too fast._ "Well, you see... I don't know where you live, and I, um... I'd like to learn more about your dolls." I make up as I go.

"You're interested in dolls?"

"Erm... kinda. Actually, seeing Shanghai made me want to see how you make them." _It is true, actually._

"..." I look up to see her give me a long gaze filled with deep thinking, some suspicion, and something else I can't identify. "Really?"

I nod furiously. "Yes, really. Also..."

"There's something else?"

"Yeah, fighting you taught me that I'm still not strong enough. Please train me!" I bow my head again.

"S-stop that, raise your head!" She pushes at my shoulders, but her position doesn't give her enough leverage.

"Please."

"Alright! Alright! Now please, raise your head!"

I meet Alice's troubled expression. "Thank you very much, Alice-san!"

She sighs and releases my shoulders. "If we're to be living together... you should just call me Alice."

"Thank you, Alice." I repeat.

I hear the door open behind me. "Ikuto, I brought lunch for you. There's some for- Ah, she's awake too?" Reisen footsteps approach us. "Here, Miss Margatroid, you should have something to eat."

"Thank you." Alice takes the tray.

"Here's yours, Ikuto."

I accept mine, which has at least twice the food on Alice's. "Thanks, Reisen. Sorry I couldn't be there at lunch."

"Really, you always get into all sorts of situations." She sighs and pats my shoulder. "It's almost time for me to go on deliveries."

"Ah, then I-"

"Just eat. I can handle things myself. I've been doing it before you came, remember?" She gives me a smile and leaves.

I quickly set aside the tray and follow her outside. "Reisen, wait. There's something important I need to talk to you about."

She stops and turns. "What?"

"I'm going to be leaving Eientei soon."

Her eyes widen. "Already?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for telling this to you so suddenly."

She shakes her head, her bunny ears flopping from side to side. "No wonder Master was acting like that..."

"Like what?"

"Never mind. So where are you going?"

I meet her eyes squarely. "With Alice. I'll come by to visit sometimes, I promised Eirin already."

Those red pupils soften slightly. "I'll try to visit you too."

"Here." I take her hand and pull her into a hug. "I'll spend one more night here, at least."

She rubs her face into my chest. "Hm. Don't forget to say goodbye to the princess and Mokou."

"I won't." I reassure her, and grope her butt.

Instead of getting mad, she chuckles and shoves me away. "See you at dinner tonight, Ikuto."

"Yeah." I reenter the room and close the door.

"...so the newspaper wasn't lying."

I turn to face Alice, whose face is difficult to read again. "Aya's article?"

She nods. "You're seeing four of them at the same time?"

"Uhh... yeah." I admit.

"Then why did you even ask to stay with me?" She demands, her eyes flashing.

"It's that deal with Yukari. Remember? Four months ago." I wait for her expression to register understanding. "I can't stay in one place all the time."

"Ah... the tengu's article didn't mention that, so it slipped my mind." Alice nods in understanding. "They don't mind?"

"As long as I visit from time to time. Can't do that with Hakugyokurou without Yukari's help though, so Youmu comes over instead." I run my fingers through my hair in embarrassment.

"Alright, I understand. You're welcome to stay." She picks up the chopsticks on her tray. "Now, let's eat before the food gets cold."

"Okay. And thanks again."

The matter settled, we dig into our respective meals.

* * *

><p><em>"So that's where I am." I finish explaining to my two companions.<em>

_"The puppeteer's place... I've never been there." Komachi comments._

_Iku nods. "And how is life over there?"_

_"Quite uneventful... is what I'd like to say, but actually, the fighting training is a lot more intense compared to before."_

_"Yet you do not seem to dislike it in the slightest."_

_I stretch my back. "If you ignore the physical exercise, training against Alice is quite mentally stimulating. Plans, counter-plans, tactics..."_

_"But you enjoy this place too, right?" Komachi asks._

_Chuckling, I tug on Iku's scarf. "Well, obviously. This is a place where I can just kick back and have fun. With my friends."_

_"Heh." Komachi moves around, and lies down on the ground with her head down on my thigh. "Or just relax."_

_"The ebb and flow of the atmosphere around you two never ceases to intrigue me." Iku gently pulls her scarf free of my grip._

_"What are you talking about? You're part of the group too, remember?" I smoothly take her hat off and put it over Komachi's face._

_She smiles and wraps her scarf around my head, covering my eyes. "Indeed I am."_

_"By the way, what's Tenshi up to now? I thought she was going to cause a ruckus, but it's been some time and I haven't heard anything."_

_"The Eldest Daughter has been visiting the shrine of Moriya for reasons that are unclear to me."_

Sanae's place? I'll ask her about it next time if I see her. _"Another stay of execution... that's what it feels like."_

_"Aggravating she may be, but the child is not one to view life lightly." I feel Iku moving near me. "She does need to be reminded once in a while, however."_

_She finally slips the cloth covering my eyes off, twirling her hat on one finger before popping it back on her head. Komachi sits up, sparing my thigh at last, and picks up her scythe._

_"Guess I better go do my job again."_

_"Gotcha. Anything to keep Shikieiki from nagging, right?" _She's really been working more since I've started coming by.

_"Yep." Komachi starts walking off into the mist. "Later, Ikuto."_

_I spend half a minute looking in the direction she left. "Iku, do your fellow oarfish youkais question why you keep coming down here?"_

_"They do not, as they have no idea that I am even here."_

This is the first time I thought to ask her this. _"Not much intercommunication?"_

_She nods, but says nothing else._

_I stand up, looking down at this quiet girl. "I think I've said this before, but I'll welcome you wherever I am. Even," I grin, "If your appearance usually means the coming of disaster."_

_"One ought to feel offended at that description. But I have known you long enough to understand your goodwill." Iku gives me a small smile. "Are you about to leave?"_

_"Yes." I take her hand, bowing over it to kiss the back of it. "Till next time, dear lady."_

_"I will look forward to then."_

* * *

><p>My daily life at Alice's place usually starts with the one who wakes up second doing the cooking, which was always me in the beginning. The reason for that is because I'm sleeping in the room filled with her dolls, and it took a while to get used to how it feels like they're staring at me, which kept me awake until late at night, depriving me of my sleep. After breakfast, I try to help her in her research as much as I can, though I can't really do much, and she and I work on figuring out the theories that lie behind the function of my Keyblade.<p>

After lunch, which is an affair where Alice teaches me how to cook with ingredients from the Forest of Magic, we take a short break, and then attempt to prove the theories we've come up with earlier in the morning through live combat. It's extremely difficult, with the practically unlimited number of dolls she can control and the firepower she has, my chances of winning are usually less than twenty-five percent. But it does help me come up with better tactics.

Occasionally, someone like Marisa or Reisen comes by to visit, always in the afternoon, in which case we suspend the fighting to play host to the guests. However, when Marisa comes, things usually result in the two of them having spell card battles. It's quite interesting to watch the artistic spray of bullets and lasers from a safe distance, and sometimes I'm a bit envious that they can make something so beautiful. But of course... I know I don't have that level of power or skill, so all I can do is train hard and improve however I can in my physical abilities, sword skills and Keyblade control.

The late afternoon is something like free time for me, though sometimes I use it to go grocery shopping, doing smalls jobs sourced from Boss or just explaining the use of items to Rinnosuke. Other times, I go visit Reimu or Eientei... or fight Cirno. She's improving just as fast as I am; I was forced to use Blaze Revive to melt a hole so I could survive the huge block of ice she dropped on me. It's getting so serious battling her that I'm honestly impressed by how much she's fighting to hold onto that title, that I'm not laughing over it as much as before.

Dinner is done in turns, though Alice once brought me out to eat at Mystia's road stand. As expected, the food she serves is delicious, though I was a little nervous sitting with other youkais at first. Her attitude's a lot better compared to Rinnosuke's though. Lastly, after a bath, Alice gives me lessons in doll making, particularly how to cut and sew the cloth, and in exchange, I tell her about some stories I read about self-aware dolls. Of course, those might be just stories, but she welcomes the possibility of uncovering a new angle in her research, particularly the one about simulacras.

As for the results of Burst Needle's injection... occasionally I notice Alice staring at me, but when I look directly at her, she'll avert her gaze, pretending that she hadn't been doing that. Also, contrary to what Akyuu's info stated about her being extremely focused on her doll making and magic research, she's actually quite interested in hearing more about me, directing me off the stories to talk about myself instead, or actually engaging me in conversation during mealtimes.

"There's an odd mist today..." Alice murmurs, looking out the window.

"Huh?" I lean back from where I'm washing the dishes so I can see. "Hmm..."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Just let me check something..." Drying my hands, I exit the house.

Indeed, the entire area around the place has been blanketed in mist, unnaturally so given that there hadn't been any rain in the past two days. I sniff the air on a whim... there was some familiar smell around the place...

_Sake!_ "Suika, is that you?"

Instantly, the mist starts gathering together in a thick cloud in front of me, and bursts to reveal the little oni. "Hiya~, Ikuto."

"Why are you hanging around in your mist form for?" I ask as I ruffle the hair on top of her head.

"I'm here to pass on a message from Reimu~" Suika grabs my wrist, but doesn't remove my hand from her head. "The festival's tomorrow evening."

"That's a bit sudden. Though..." I think back to the time I'd first suggested the idea. "It's been slightly more than a week since then, hasn't it?"

She nods. "Uh huh. Reimu arranged everything with the villagers, and I helped too."

"You're pretty amazing to have helped." I smile down at her. _Bet the villagers don't mind seeing her around._

"Ehehe~" She giggles, swaying back and forth.

"Who else are you going to tell?"

Suika relinquishes her grip on me and starts counting off her fingers. "Err... Marisa knows... those Moriya people... I just need to go to the vampire's place and the moon people's place."

"I'll take care of Eientei for you." I offer.

"You will? Thanks!" The oni grins widely. "That gives me more time for drinking later!"

I return the grin. "Not so fast. Can I ask you to invite someone else?"

"Geh." She steps back from me. "Who?"

"That oarfish youkai, Iku Nagae."

"Eh? How do you know her?" It seems like hearing who I asked for shocked her nearly sober.

"Mutual friend." I smirk, conveying the fact that I intend to keep the identity of that friend a secret.

"Eh~ Tell me~" Suika clamps onto my arm.

She keeps up a steady stream of begging as I drag her back inside the house, with Alice staring at the two of us in bewilderment. I inform Alice of the details about the festival, ignoring the oni hanging on my arm, and she just nods silently to acknowledge what I just told her.

"I'll be going over to Eientei to tell them too, so I don't think we'll be able to have our usual training today." I raise my voice to be heard over Suika. "Well then, I'll be going now." I turn to leave.

"Ah, wait!..." She trails off when I look back at her. "Uh... never mind, it's nothing."

"Come on~ Tell me who it is~"

"Okay then. Just let me know if you need help setting up and stuff."

Once outside, I purposely shift my arm so that Suika shifts around to cling onto my back. It makes it easier to walk, though her constant talking and wine-soaked breath creates another problem to deal with. My chance comes when she pauses to drink from her gourd.

"Hey Suika, how is it like where you came from?"

"Huh~?" I hear the liquor in her gourd slosh as she lowers it. "Where I came from~?"

"Yeah. Underground, right?"

"Mmm~ It was nice, I guess." She holds the gourd in front of my eyes. "Want some?"

"Don't mind if I do." I take a small sip, feeling it burn as it goes down. "But you enjoy being above ground more, right?"

"Of course~! Being around humans is fun!" She gulps down some more. "Especially the parties!"

I chuckle, finally locating the path that leads to the outside. "Yeah, they're fun."

"Right~?" Suika rests her chin on my shoulder, exhaling liquor-scented breath against my face. "Ikuto, you should come for the next one."

"I'll try." I see the exit up ahead and increase my speed slightly. "But what else is there to do besides eating and drinking?"

"Mm~ dancing... singing... games!"

"You sing?" _If she does, I'd like to hear it._

"Umm... I think I can~" She starts rocking left and right, making me stagger as we exit the Forest. "Whee~"

_That's her usual level of drunkenness._ I counter by leaning back and forth, making her giggle. "Do you play with other humans like this?"

"Nah~ Ya the only one, Ikuto~"

"Thanks." I spin in circles as I continue down the road, and Suika has to hang onto my shoulders to prevent from getting thrown off. "Shouldn't you be going over to tell Remilia?"

"Ah, oh yeah, nearly forgot." She pats me on the back. "Getting down now."

Suika releases her grip on me and hops down to the ground, spreading her arms wide as she lands.

"Don't forget to invite Iku." I quickly remind her.

"Gotcha~" She raises one hand in a wobbly salute, and falls backwards, scattering into mist before hitting the ground.

The mist hangs around the place for a few seconds, then disperses even more until there's no more trace of Suika left. With that settled, I head off in the direction of Eientei, wondering how the villagers would have reacted if I had walked in there with an oni clinging onto my back.

Looking around the village, I can see most of the food shops have the wood and decorations for their stands at tomorrow's festival ready already. Some of the shopkeepers notice me and wave or call greetings with a smile. Likewise, I return those greetings, but I continue on my way through the village. Since I've moved, the gossip has traveled extremely widely, especially with so many people reading a certain tengu's newspaper.

Regarding the effects of Aya's article, I became even more well-known around the village. They treat me pretty normal still, but there are those who come up to me just to make a teasing comment about how gutsy I am to have so many mistresses. Well, some parts of it aren't too bad... like the ramen store owner, he gave me a bowl of ramen for free, saying I should keep up my energy in order to keep the ladies satisfied. Really, it's best to just keep my mouth shut in such situations.

Then there's the matter of Keine. The one time I met her after that unfortunate incident, she made an excuse to get away from me quickly, clearly avoiding me. I'd ask Mokou to find out what's the matter, but given the fact that Mokou's normally not the type to pry into such things, Keine would immediately realize that I put her up to it. Guess that means my best chance to confront Keine would be tomorrow evening, during the festival.

"Ikuto?" I hear Mokou call out to me minutes after I enter the Bamboo Forest.

I alter my course to approach her. "Yo. How've you been?"

"The usual. I go over to play with Kaguya once in a while, but apart from that, I'm just guiding lost villagers as usual."

"Have you been visiting the village more often?"

She nods. "Keine told me to join her for dinner more lately."

_That's good then. She's mingling around more._ "Speaking of Keine, are you helping out with the festival too?"

Mokou stops. "The festival? Keine said there was one, but she didn't say when."

I reverse my steps so I can grab her hand and pull her along. "I just found out that it's tomorrow. Why don't you help out? I'm sure Reimu might need someone to man the shrine's stall."

"T-that soon? I-I didn't know." Her voice betrays her surprise and embarrassment. "I'll have to talk to Keine about that then."

"The reason I'm here is to pass the message to those at Eientei." I explain as I walk. "Actually, I'm interested to see how you'll look like in that shrine maiden outfit."

"D-does it really interest you th-that much?" She stumbles over her words, blushing.

Stopping, I turn Mokou to face me and pat the side of her thick pants. "Considering you wear this nearly all the time, yes, I am interested. By the way," I lower my voice as I lean in close, "Were you feeling lonely now that I'm gone?"

"Uh-uh-uh-..." She stutters uncontrollably.

_Really, it's so fun to tease her._ "So you were?"

"I-I-I-I'm not!"

I grab her shoulders to stop her from backing away. "Reaaaaally?"

Mokou holds up a hand filled with fire near my face. "Want me to burn you?"

_Dang, pushed too hard._ I pull back from her. "I'll pass on that. Are you going to go over to Kaguya's?"

"...might as well." She shrugs.

Tsundere _as always._ "By the way, how's Keine?" I start walking again.

Mokou trots faster to keep up with me. "She seems busy helping arrange the festival."

"Hmm... she actually has the time to help out with that?" _Knowing Keine, I think she might be overworking herself._

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

I tense up a little in surprise when Mokou suddenly clings onto my arm. "Guess so..." _So she was feeling lonely after all?_ _But this action is..._ "Say, Mokou... what books have you been reading?"

"Re-reading?" I feel her flinch against my body. "I-I wasn't reading anything!"

_Poor at lying, too. Well, let's just leave things at that._ "Hm? Oh, a youkai rabbit."

Instantly, Mokou distances herself from me. "Where!"

The rabbit twitches its ears when I point at it, and quickly dashes off even as Mokou brings out some fire to throw. Already expecting that, I grab her arm, altering my temperature so I can maintain my hold on it.

"Leave it." She sighs and lets the flame fade out, and I move my hand around to hold her hot palm. "Come on."

Of course, we separate when Eientei comes into view. The one who's first to welcome us is Tewi, who's wearing the smirk of someone who knows something. Given the youkai rabbit we encountered earlier, it's no secret what exactly is the thing she's snickering about. I have to keep a hold on Mokou to prevent her from going berserk with embarrassment. Eirin and Kaguya receive the news warmly, and Kaguya invites me to play against her again, which I decline as I have some other destination in mind. Really, I'm still amazed that a princess like her is addicted to one single game.

* * *

><p>On my way to my next destination, I run into someone unexpected. "Oh, Izayoi-san. Finished shopping?"<p>

Sakuya nods to me as I match my pace to hers. "Yes. And you?"

"Visiting, you could say. Does your mistress know about the festival tomorrow?"

"She does, but surprisingly, my lady has no wish to go."

"Huh, I thought she would be eager to." I give her a sidelong look. "And you?"

Sakuya glances back somewhat disinterestedly. "What do you mean?"

"Are you going? Or you didn't ask your lady about it?"

She doesn't reply, but her steps had a momentary jerk right then.

"Well, if you want to, just ask her. But that's up to you." I stop walking. "I'm going a different way from here."

"Alright. Goodbye."

_Terse response... can't tell if she does want to go or not..._ I think as I walk in the direction of the Misty Lake. _Hm, where's Cirno at now... I got more time to spend fighting her since I'm not training with Alice this time._

Nowadays, youkai rarely attack me, but since some stupid fairies still do, I pay close attention to my surroundings. Also, I use Wavebreaker to conceal me just in case, especially since I had a lucky break when I first thought about using it. While I was taking a break, practicing at keeping myself concealed, I heard voices talking as they approached, and took cover behind a tree since the I wasn't absolutely hidden.

The voices happened to be those Three Mischievous Fairies that were responsible for getting me injured for the first time; I still remember hearing the truth of the matter clearly from Cirno, and like I told Youmu before, I do hold grudges. A lot of time has passed since then, so it's faded a little, but I still wanted to punish them a bit.

The one in blue, Star Sapphire, was talking about how I suddenly disappeared, probably referring to Wavebreaker's concealment. It reminded me of that manga I read where she couldn't detect Reisen, and I was surprised to find out that it's true. The other two, Sunny Milk and Lunar Child, were also intrigued by how I had managed it, which meant that they had been following me. Finding out that fact stoked up the anger I had at them even more.

Since I needed Wavebreaker's concealment, I couldn't switch to another Keyblade to beat them up, but since it wasn't perfect either, I couldn't approach and whack them over the head like I wanted to. So that only left one alternative; I crouched down and aimed carefully, and whispered 'Shoot' three times in quick succession, dropping all three of them into unconsciousness. Afterwards, I gathered their light bodies, and threw them at Cirno from a safe distance so she would freeze them in reflex. That might have been sadistic, but it was totally satisfying. Besides, fairies are a hardy lot, so they'd survive something like that easily. Haven't encountered them since then, but they probably don't know that I'm responsible anyway.

Hearing something as I near the edge of the lake, I quickly tense up and take cover behind a tree. _That's... footsteps. Who is it? Another youkai? They usually don't take too well to surprises, so let's try a pre-emptive. I can always apologize if it fails._

Closing my eyes, I listen to the approaching sounds, waiting for the right time. Just as they pass behind the tree I'm using, I jump out with Future Gazer ready to block any reflex blows. Instead, the person yelps and stumbles back, tripping over a rock and falling into the shallow water with a loud splash.

_Who... oops, big mistake._ I stare at the woman, who's wearing a black overcoat over a white dress, with black straps crisscrossing in front, and has hair that's purple near the scalp, but turns to brown further out. _Hijiri Byakuren. The Myouren gang would kill me for this._

"Byakuren-san, I'm so sorry! I thought you were a youkai!" I quickly step into the water and hold my hand out to her.

"Uuu... that surprised me!" Byakuren pushes a lock of wet hair out of her face and takes my hand, letting me pull her up. "Oh, Ikuto-kun. What were you doing?"

"I thought another youkai was going to attack me, so I was thinking I'd just surprise it first." _Uh, wait, she's-_

"Now, you mustn't do that." She tells me off reprovingly. "These poor youkais are just trying to live, just like you and me."

I bow my head apologetically. "Sorry. But I wasn't intending to kill any youkai either."

"That's good to hear, but- Achoo!" She pulls her hand free of mine to cover her mouth as she sneezes.

"The weather's getting cooler, so you'd best dry off before you catch a cold." _Does someone like her even catch a cold?_ I wonder as I steer her out of the water. "Here, let me help."

With Alice's help, I've managed to uncover Eternal Inheritance's ability, which is involves protection from the five Chinese elements of fire, water, earth, wood and steel, something which clashes with Kaguya's Japanese history. It's not perfect control, only providing defense, but it also works for repelling any one of the five.

I bring out the Keyblade and call for the dragon crystal, which appears around my neck as a necklace. I wait until the water soaking my legs are out, then start focusing its power into my hand. Next, I hold it out in front of Byakuren, slowly pushing the water downwards and off her body. It's difficult, since the ability resists my control, but I manage it bit by bit, working her back first, then going on to her arms.

"Tell me if I miss any spot." I mutter through gritted teeth.

"I will, and thank you." Byakuren turns her left arm around I can get all the water out. "You've really improved in your powers."

I nod, focusing on doing her front next. "These are... only borrowed." _Huh, there's a small open patch at the top of the dress showing cleava- Ahh, no, focus, focus!_

"Borrowed?"

"I'm just... using my weapon's powers." Feeling it slipping from my control, I quickly slash my hand downwards along both legs, making a whole stream of water pour out to puddle around her feet. "Haa..."

"Are you okay?" She touches me concernedly.

"Yeah..." I brace my hands on my knees as the crystal is reabsorbed back into the Keyblade. "It's just... mentally draining..."

"Do you need help? Achoo!" Byakuren sneezes again.

I lift my head up to grin at her. "Still cold?"

"A little," She admits, "But I'll be fine."

"Shou, Murasa and the rest will worry." This time, I call out Blaze Revive. "Here, it won't burn."

She reaches out tentatively, since any sane creature would fear fire. But once I touch my hand to hers, the flames spread out to cover her as well, making Byakuren sigh in contentment as they warm her up. Unlike Burst Needle's energy recovery, these flames also energize my mind a little, so I hum a little as I recover.

"What's that tune?" Byakuren asks me curiously.

I try to recall. _When did that song come from? _"Some song I heard a long time ago... what's the title... Cosmic Magic Shooter, I think?"

"It sounds quite catchy."

_Oh yeah... it's a vocal arrangement of Byakuren's theme._ "You'll have to ask Yukari if you want to hear the actual song, since she's got..." I grope for a way to explain the Ipod. "Special technology to play it." I say lamely.

"Technology?"

I mentally slap myself. "The kind of stuff kappas make, but a lot better. Oh yes," I change the subject. "Are you going for the festival tomorrow? It's at Hakurei Shrine."

"I might pay a visit, if only to keep Nue from her pranks." Byakuren suddenly moans. "Ahh~ This feels nice..."

_A bit _too _relaxed..._ "Um, Byakuren-san?"

"Yes, Ikuto-kun?" She replies dreamily.

"How long are you-"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIJIRI!"

Instinctively, I reverse Blaze Revive in my grip and switch back to Eternal Inheritance, thrusting it into the ground as Byakuren murmurs unhappily at the loss of the heat it was providing. Rounded caps of stone appear on my shoulders, and a heavy wall of rock breaks up from the ground on my left, defending the two of us from a blast that rocks the place, scattering leaves from the trees.

_Hey, what do you know, that worked this time!_ "Who was that?" I ask, my voice sounding tiny through the ringing in my ears.

Byakuren stares at the wall, in the direction the attack came from. "That was Nazrin's voice."

"Could you stop her and explain things? I don't want to fight."

She nods and sticks her head around the wall. "Nazrin~! Don't attack, please~! I'm fine!"

"Hijiri? But, you were on fire!" Nazrin's childish voice sounds closer now.

"Ikuto-kun was just helping to warm me up. Put those away, he's not an enemy."

Hearing a sigh in reply, I take the chance and pull Eternal Inheritance out of the ground, causing the wall to sink back down to reveal the mouse youkai standing behind it. "Hi there." I greet as casually as I can manage.

She glares at me suspiciously, her tail lashing back and forth. "Who are you?"

_Right, I didn't actually encounter her since I've never been to Myouren Temple. Come to think of it, when I mentioned Shou earlier, Byakuren didn't ask how I knew. _"I'm Ikuto. The outsider that came by months ago?" _Short stature, black dress, grey hair, dowsing rods in both hands... and cute mouse ears on top of her head._

"And what were you doing to Hijiri?"

"I accidentally caused her to fall into the water, so I was keeping her warm. Like this." I cloak myself in Blaze Revive's fire.

Nazrin steps back in shock, lifting her rods defensively. She gasps again when Byakuren touches me, getting some of the fire on herself. "Hi-Hijiri! You'll- you'll... you're not burning?" She asks dumbly.

Byakuren nods, smiling. "See? I'm fine. It's quite warm."

"Um, Byakuren-san?"

"Yes?" She turns to me, basking in the flames.

"How long... I mean, were you taking a walk?" I switch my question halfway, not wanting to ask her directly.

"Why yes. I thought it might be nice to get a breath of fresh air."

I look straight at Nazrin. "She's been taking a while, hasn't she?"

The youkai nods. "Shou-sama told me to look for her."

"Byakuren-san, I think you better go back before you cause them to worry any further." I dismiss the flames, and tuck the key back into my pocket. "We can always continue talking some other time."

She heaves a sigh tinged with disappointment. "You're right... I've been out long enough. Come along, Nazrin. And Ikuto-kun, thank you for drying my clothes."

"No need to thank me." _Since I was the one responsible in the first place._ "Goodbye then. Hope to see you at the festival."

"I'll do my best to be there." Byakuren promises, and flies off, followed by Nazrin, who casts me one last look of distrust.

_That was an unexpected meeting. Hmm... _I check inside myself. _Energy levels are satisfactory, looks like training my abilities helped improve the endurance levels. _I look around the lake, peering through the mist. _Now... where is... ah, there!_

I head towards the left along the side of the lake, pulling out the key once again as the temperature drops further, heading for the source of a different childish voice...

* * *

><p>Once again, thanks to all those who read and reviewed my last chapter. Another chapter done! With more games to play and stuff to do, my writing speed really has slowed compared to when I was in the middle of my exams. But things are getting fun~<p>

I'm sure some of you should have realized the reference in the first line. A certain song by COOL & CREATE... And Cosmic Magic Shooter has made it to my playlist of 'Songs I could listen to all the time'

As some of you might guess from this chapter, a certain character featured a while back is going to make a reappearance! 18 is a multiple of 9, after all.

Also, as an omake (extra), here's a few notes to explain Ikuto's Keyblades! They're based off what he's written in his logbook, and includes stuff he's found out through his research with Alice. If you look at the section under Burst Needle, you'll notice that he has left out a certain part, because he doesn't want anyone to know about it.

* * *

><p><strong>Future Gazer (Base):<strong>

Direct Offensive Keyblade. Cut trail of black and white sparks.

**Phantom Blossom (Youmu):**

Direct Offensive Keyblade, the most sword-like of all the Keyblades, and can cut non-living objects. Cut trail creates pink petals. Boosts physical abilities greatly.

Techniques:

Scattered Cherryblossoms- A high speed strike that leaves a wake of devastating damage that does not affect living things. Can be started off the ground to create a large wave of petals that shred any attacks.

Four-Petal Bloom- A simple double swing that cuts its target into four sections, used as a defensive maneuver.

Sakura Falling- By focusing the entirety of Phantom Blossom's ability boost in the arm, it enables extreme high speed cutting, though practically uncontrollable for the same reason. As it taxes the arm severely, it is not meant for constant use. Have yet to try doing kicks with boosted legs.

**Life Eater (Yuyuko):**

Direct Offensive Keyblade, extremely dangerous. Cut trail creates tiny butterflies that combine to form a bigger one that follows the Keyblade around. Cutting that butterfly causes a pink explosion that only affects the target area. More hits will increase the blast radius.

Notes: Luckily, I can't cut myself, as I found out through an accident that scared the heck out of me.

**Blaze Revive (Mokou):**

Direct Support Keyblade with mild Offensive ability. Cut trail of fiery sparks. The flames will heal any injury incurred at high speed, though with more pain, and boosts mental activity. Focusing the fire can burn, but not severely, with a max range of two meters away. Boosts physical ability and defenses slightly, and moderate fire resistance.

Techniques:

Pinion Fall- By exhausting its power upwards into the air, a rain of flame feathers lasting a minute is created. Gradual healing effect for me and burning effect on identified enemies. Takes five minutes before Blaze Revive is usable again.

Phoenix Wings (creation process)- Creates wings of fire, but control is still insufficient for any offensive/support moves.

**Eternal Inheritance (Kaguya):**

External Defensive Keyblade, possible Offensive abilities. Cut trail of white sparks. Summons an item at a time, granting near-immunity to any one of the corresponding five elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Wood or Metal. No ability boost.

Fire Rat's Robe (Robe)- Fire protection, but does not defend against blast pressure. No offensive abilities.

Dragon's Crystal (Necklace)- Water protection, repels nearby water. Effect range can be manipulated with difficulty. Does not affect ice.

Buddha's Bowl (Shoulder Guards)- Earth protection, repels incoming earth or rock attacks. May need Tenshi for further testing. Can use with Keyblade to create walls of rock as defense, possible as offense if opponent comes within two meters.

Hourai Branch (Wristband)- Wood protection, repels incoming wood attacks. Not very useful at first, but can be used to prevent heavy impact against trees after being blown away by a blast. Can use with Keyblade to manipulate trees slightly. Managed to hit Alice with a fruit thrown from a distance.

Swallow's Cowrie (Belt)- Metal protection, repels attacks made with metal, such as the lances and swords on Alice's dolls. HOW DOES A COWRIE TRANSLATE TO METAL PROTECTION?

**Wavebreaker (Reisen):**

Ranged Offensive/Support Keyblade. No cut trail as it does not cut. Fires a red bullet which can curve slightly, but requires moderate concentration on target to do so, thus machine gun firing at multiple targets is not possible. Able to generate a field that disrupts the wavelength of light to improve camouflage, and a different field that affects Alice's doll control, though harder to maintain.

Techniques:

Dissonance Burst- A momentary large range disruption that disables all of Alice's dolls for twenty seconds, but she can just send out more. Need to explore further applications.

Mirage- Intense focus shifts my image some distance from me. Useful as bait only.

**Burst Needle (Eirin):**

Direct/Ranged Support Keyblade. No cut trail as it does not cut. Injects drugs if used on self, ally or enemy directly. Unsure if there's a limit to the drugs. Normal use at a distance fires micro-needles that induces paralysis in the target muscle. Not easy to use given its extremely short range, maximum of five meters, which is easily dodged if enemy knows it is coming.

Techniques:

Knocking- Named after the exact technique from Toriko. Difficult to perform under pressure as it requires careful aiming. Need to study Eirin's notes more to know the right points to target.

Boost- Injection. Extreme enhancement for two minutes, enough to beat Alice nearly instantly. Muscular pain afterwards, so to be used in critical situations. May possibly lead to development of resistance.

Ability Down- Injection. Potentially disables target's abilities for up to five minutes, and reduces physical function by half at most. Alice has been developing resistance.

Recovery- Revitalizes body energy to the max, but does not affect mental activity. Possible addiction, so overuse is to be avoided.


	19. Chapter 18: Icy Start to a Festival

"Aye'm ready to take you on!" Cirno points at me, clearly anticipating our battle as much as I was.

_You have encountered an ice fairy! _"Then, the rules are the same as last time! Two hits on me and you pass!"

She starts by restricting my movement, creating thick walls of ice to fence me in. With the thickness she's given them, only Blaze Revive is capable of melting through them fast enough to avoid... damn, here it comes! I flatten myself against the wall on the left, avoiding a cold beam.

_That was close. Cirno's getting even faster at taking advantages. But I've got another way of breaking out of this!_ I switch to Eternal Inheritance and ram its point into the ground. _Now that I recall how it feels like, I can do it! Break!_

The shoulder guards form as the ice shatters from the rock wall forcing its way through to block the next beam. Using my free hand to shield my face from the shards that rain down, I ram my shoulder against the remains of the ice and break through, switching to Blaze Revive halfway to melt the remainder of the wall. The wall sinks back down, putting me back in her view again.

"Heh, pretty good!" Cirno yells, and flings a block of ice towards me.

"So are you!" I step in under the ice, raising Wavebreaker to bounce it over my head. _Let's try this! _"Shoot!"

I swing down as I yell the command, and the bullet launches out in a cannonball-like arc at a high speed. The ice fairy spins aside, and retaliates with ice shards launched with a wave of her arm. Expecting that, I melt them in midair with a swing from Blaze Revive, but she's already moving on to her next attack, spinning head over heels as she descends towards me with an ice sword.

"Hah!" I switch to Phantom Blossom and cut upwards, making sure to slash the ground on the way up.

"Nuoh!" Cirno gasps as our blades make contact, and quickly abandons her sword to roll over me before the wave of petals swallow her along with it. "Not so easy!"

"Woah!" I jump up as she goes for a diving tackle, aiming for my legs with a block of ice half her size. "Then how's this!"

She hurriedly raises an ice shield as I rush at her, swinging heavy blows that chip at her guard gradually. Before I can break through, Cirno pushes it at me, forcing me to sidestep the makeshift ram. Not missing that chance, she flings a small ball of ice at the ground, and I quickly retreat, twisting my body to avoid the icicles that shoot out from the ground.

_Damn, she's always improving! _I think to myself as she repeats the sword move again, except with a more direct trajectory. _Sidestep, and blast!_ I switch to Wavebreaker and thrust at her side, releasing a bullet that sends her tumbling away. _That's not going to stop her._

"Eey! Aye won't lose!" Recovering herself, Cirno dives to the ground and slaps her hands onto it. "HAAA!"

Sharp icicles erupt from the ground towards me, and I skip back to see how far she can follow. It forces me nearly until the water's edge before she suddenly swings her arms up, launching all the icicles into the air. I crouch, feeling the slipstream from the closest one as it barely misses my head, and await her next move.

"Ice Charge!" Cirno yells, dashing towards me, twisting her body midway to form the frozen envelope around her.

_That's pretty fast, but when you start that far away, I can prepare for it._ With the point of Life Eater pointed at the ground, I swing it across my body as I sidestep her charge, chipping the edge of her shell as I deflect it slightly, and unfurling to cut the butterfly in one continuous movement. _Boom!_

"Wah!" Thrown off by the shock, Cirno tumbles across the water, her body automatically freezing it before she actually sinks. "Eey! That ain't enough!"

Her counterattack comes in the form of beams, making the ground slippery as I dodge around. _Probably can't make it up to the total number, but let's see how many I can do before the chain breaks!_ I straighten up and shrink the key to its miniature form. _Hadouken!_ I thrust my hands out as I lean to the side, aiming for an imaginary target. _Leaf Gale!_ Pivoting on my lead leg, I spin around in a low kick and duck down to avoid the next beam. _Her aiming is even more accurate now._

"Ice Kick!" Cirno leaps up and dives for me feet first, spinning with freezing air gathering at her feet.

_Damn, have to bend the rules a little._ I call out Eternal Inheritance, leaning forward to slam it into the ground with the handle near my face as though I'm blowing through my hand. _Earth Element! Earth Style Wall!_ The earth beneath me groans it rises up, barely fast enough to avoid Cirno's attack, which smashes into it hard enough to make it shake dangerously. Quickly, I jump, forcing my reluctant body to perform a vault. _Mystletainn Kick!_ _-which isn't really a kick._ I think cynically as I come out of what feels like three spins to swing my weapon at Cirno.

"Eeyy!" She lifts both hands up to form a shield, but it's too weak to take my attack, and shatters. "Ow!" Cirno yelps as it thuds into her head.

_C'mon... what next... ah! _I pull my weapon back and jab it into the ground again, calling to the earth once more. _Feels like it's responding less easily... maybe I'm getting tired. _Still, it follows my call, launching me up once more. _Naruto Combo! _This time, I do an actual kick, dropping my heel on Cirno as she tries to dodge. But instead of blocking with her ice shield, she catches it with her hands. _Oh shit!_

Cirno grins triumphantly at me. "Hah! Take this!"

I grunt as she encases my foot in ice, but manage to rip it out of her grip. She's managed to touch and freeze me before, but not as bad as this. _Temperature control for now! I'm not going to give up so easily!_ _Spinning Kick!_ I launch myself into a jumping spin with my other foot, using the added weight to lend momentum to a heavy kick that takes Cirno unawares.

"Yeow!" She squeaks, flying back to crash against a tree. "Ungh!"

I jump, using my Keyblade as support to swing closer, and pull my frozen foot up for another attack as I switch to Phantom Blossom. _Guess that's all I can manage for today. What should I call this one... ah, heck, I can name it later._ My eyes widen in reflex as I pour all of the power into that one leg.

"HAAAAAAAAAA!" I growl, and unleash the pent up energy at Cirno.

"YAAAAAAAAAA!" She puts up a shield, doing her best to maintain it.

I lose count of how many blows batter her shield within two seconds, but all I care about is breaking through her shield. It finally shatters along with the ice around my foot, causing her hands to fly back from the clash. Without slowing, I snap my foot back, catching the ice fairy in the side and tossing her against another tree.

"Agh! Aye won't give up! Aye will win again!"

"Guh!" I flinch as the backlash hits me, coupled with the pins and needles of the cold, causing my leg to crumple slightly under my own weight. "ARGH!"

Quickly, I switch to Burst Needle and jab it against the thigh of my affected foot, dosing myself with the Recovery drug. As expected, it fixes up my body perfectly, but not in time to fully avoid another Ice Charge, which knocks me to the ground.

"Aye have you now!" Cirno directs a blast of whiteness at the ground, creating a thick mist around me.

_SHIT!_ I throw myself aside, barely dodging sharp icicles that sprout where I was a moment ago. _That could have killed me!_ "Haa... no you don't!"

"Then how's this!" She spins, throwing out a burst of ice projectiles.

"As if!" I slash them down, barely managing it despite my body's recovery.

"Eey! Then Aye'll just do this!"

Once again, my eyes widen, and I make a quick retreat as she winds up for another spin, except for the fact that the accompanying temperature drop is far beyond her usual ones. That fairy's... using a spell card against me. For the first time.

_The wind's getting super strong!_ I switch back to Eternal Inheritance and thrust it into the ground yet again. _This move needs mental strength... which I'm low on! _

"HA!" I yell, the mental pressure feeling as though I'm trying to uproot a tree with my bare hands.

The stone wall appears to protect me, and I can hear the howling of the wind as it tears at my protection. Just as the wind starts to die down, the wall shatters unexpectedly, and I shield my face with my arms in reflex while its remains crumble back into the ground. I hiss as something scores my shoulder, leaving a long stinging line, but feeling nothing else, I take a cautious peek.

"Thereeee~ Hoooow~ about thaaaaat~" Cirno demands woozily, her eyes spinning as she points somewhere to the left of where I am.

"Heh. Hahahaha!" I start laughing, retrieving the key from the ground and keeping it away. "You've done it again!"

"YES!" Cirno pumps her fists exultantly. "AYE DID, iiiiiittttt~" She weaves around, still feeling the effects of the spinning.

Breathing heavily, I collapse on the wet grass to try and catch my breath. "You've really improved, Cirno."

"Uh, of course! Aye've been training!" She floats towards me, her attitude cocky. "Plus, Aye told you Aye'm the strongest!"

_This is the first time she's won without me faking it. _I close my eyes and focus on breathing properly. _Well, it's only two hits so far... and I didn't really use Blaze Revive that much._ "Well done." I tell her, meaning it.

"YAY! Aye'm still the Ninth!" Cirno zooms off somewhere, but suddenly comes back.

"What's the matter?" I ask curiously.

"You're strong too! Aye'm sure you can beat that black-white!" She points at me like a teacher giving an award to her student. "I beat her before!"

_Marisa? Heh, like I could beat that witch in terms of firepower. _"We'll see." I reply, not actually confirming it.

My answer seems to satisfy her, though, and the fairy flies off to celebrate somewhere else. Looking around at the ice starting to melt, I decide to bring out Blaze Revive for a while. As the flames heal my scratch and take the chill off my body, I start humming the tune to Cirno's Perfect Math Class for no reason.

* * *

><p><em>So the maximum number of times I can bring out that rock wall is five times a day? <em>I review my battle with Cirno in my head as I walk back from Hakurei Shrine. _Have to see if I can pass that limit during my training._

After I recovered from my battle with Cirno, I headed over to visit Reimu to check how her preparations were going. Turns out that Suika hadn't come back yet, so I had to help her set up wards around the area for tomorrow; I also had to remind her to shield her own shrine, since she was so strung up over the whole thing she ended up forgetting about it. Then I had to assist her in taking out some of the heavier supplies she needed from her storeroom. By the time I was finished, it was nearly time for dinner, so I made my excuses and headed back to Alice's place.

"Yo, Ikuto."

I look around for the speaker, then realize to look upwards. "Oh, hi Marisa."

The witch was floating along a meter above me on her broomstick. "Going back to Alice's?" She asks, flashing me a toothy grin.

"Yep. You going to offer me a ride?" I counter-question.

"No problem -ze." She descends and hops down, keeping one hand on the handle. "Get on -ze." She indicates the broom.

I stare at it. _All of a sudden, it looks smaller._ "Is there enough space for both of us?"

Marisa nods. "Yep!"

_Nothing to lose._ I sit sidesaddle near the end. _Except my life, if I fall off, maybe._

The witch hops on near the front. "Hold on tight -ze!"

"To wha- EYAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I must admit, I can sound like a girl sometimes.

"Yahooo~!" Marisa squeals.

We shoot off at a speed that doesn't seem healthy for any human, no matter how much I think about it. My fingers are clamped down so tight, I can feel the wood creaking... in my wrists since my fingers are numb.

"Don't look down -ze." The driver advises.

_Nah, I'm not afraid of heights. _I glance down. _Besides, at this speed, everything just looks like a green froth. Looking forward's much more interesting, like how the scenery in the distance is expanding so fast._ Then the bottom drops out of my stomach as we decrease in altitude at an alarming rate.

"And... touchdown!" Marisa pulls up on the handle.

I dismount shakily, trying to gather some stiffness in those rubbery legs that don't feel like mine. _Marisa goes around like this all the time? Guess it's like horseback riding; you use muscles you don't know you had before. _It takes nearly a minute before I can trust myself to talk without throwing up, and mutter my thanks to Marisa.

"No problem -ze! Come by and visit me sometime, 'kay?" Without waiting for a reply, she kicks off and flies away.

I force myself to walk back into Alice's house. "I'm back." I call as loud as I can manage as I enter.

"Dinner's nearly ready." Alice answers back.

"Got it. I'll go wash up first."

Later, during the dinner, Alice surprises me again by actually starting the conversation. "You're being quiet today. What happened?"

I munch slowly on the meat in my mouth and swallow before answering. "I'm tired because I was helping Reimu prepare stuff for the festival, and before that, I was fighting Cirno."

"Cirno? Ah, that ice fairy you told me you challenge sometimes."

Nodding, I eat another clump of rice. "She's improving."

"I see."

The rest of the dinner passes in silence, and Alice sends her dolls to wash up the dishes as I watch in interest. They all move with efficient synchronization, with hardly any wasted movement.

"You control them really well." I murmur that oft-repeated compliment again.

"Thank you." The dolls deposit the last of the plates in the rack to dry, and float over to the kitchen counter. "Tea?"

"Yes, please." _Some tea would be nice..._

After we've had a cup each, Alice brings out her sewing kit and hands me thread and needle. Without really having to think about it, I thread the needle. I never thought I would be making doll clothes... but it's interesting to see how various pieces of cloth can come together to make something pretty. Except, just like my musical sense, I don't really have the ability to design good-looking clothes. So I just copy-paste~

_But it still takes a lot more practice before I can do a good enough imitation. _I think as I undo a mistake, and steal a glance at Alice. _I should say something..._

"Alice, why do you make dolls only to blow-" Then I recall. "Oh, I get it now."

"Get what?" She asks me, puzzled.

"Your bomb dolls aren't the real dolls, are they?"

Alice seems surprised, but nods. "They aren't. I only use real dolls in close range."

"The long range ones are... magical constructs, then." I recall how her bomb dolls always seemed to collapse in on themselves. "Then the blast... comes from the breakdown of the structure?"

"Yes. When did you realize?"

"I saw the dolls warping slightly before they exploded."

"I see. You pay attention to detail really well." There's approval in her smile.

_You tend to remember things when they're blowing up in your face. _"But when it comes to reproducing them..." I look at the pitiful result of my attempt to imitate a costume I saw long ago.

"You just need practice." Alice passes me stuffing. "You should take a break for now. Help me stuff the dolls instead."

"Sure." I set aside my work and do as she asks. "Magical constructs need the magician to be extremely familiar with them. Is that why you make a lot of dolls?"

She nods, her hands never pausing in their work. "That's half the reason."

"The other half is that you love dolls." I smile, finishing up the stuffing and sewing it shut. "Anyone can tell that."

"Here," She passes me another to stuff, "Do this one next."

The rest of the evening passes without much conversation, as we work together to make dolls for the festival tomorrow; a princess and a prince... wonder what show is she planning to put on for tomorrow?

* * *

><p>As I clear the breakfast dishes off the table, Alice heads behind the house, intending to do the laundry. Knowing that, I hurry a little so I can see that funny scene again. Within minutes, I'm done, and sitting near the window on the second floor with a book on magic, waiting for her to come around.<p>

Sure enough, she comes around, with her dolls carrying the basket of damp clothes behind her. Other dolls bring and set up the poles, stringing thin ropes across for the clothes to be hung up on. Looking at the pile, it looks big enough for me to read a bit before the interesting part happens, even with the dolls working like busy bees, clipping the clothes to the washing lines. After a minute and two pages, I face the window again. Alice is finishing up, and some of the dolls are setting up another structure for the finale.

The thing about Alice, apart from a few old scars from making dolls, her hands are quite smooth, since she uses her dolls for nearly everything else. Her magically constructed dolls are only used during battle, so when she's doing chores, she uses her handmade ones instead. Surprisingly, the skin of her dolls are treated with something to repel water, so the stuffing isn't affected. But the clothes and the hair are, so...

As Alice works her fingers, the dolls pick up small lengths of ropes and fashion nooses out of them. One by one, they slip it over their necks, and the next doll helps to keep the former's hair free of the rope. Then they clip the other end of the rope to the washing line, and finally drop down to swing around like dead bodies when Alice cuts her control over them as she comes back inside. Chuckling my amusement, I slip the bookmark into the book and leave the room, as the row of swinging dolls gradually come to a stop.

"Do we need to be there early for you to set up your stall?" I ask as I come down the stairs.

She shakes her head, heading for her small library. "I'll only need ten minutes with my dolls. We can just relax until it's time."

"Alright then." I follow her, and take a comfortable armchair to continue my reading. "This is the first time we aren't doing morning research, isn't it?"

"Yes." Alice takes a book one of her dolls bring her and settles herself into the chair opposite. "It's good to take a break sometimes."

Time goes by, in an atmosphere that strangely resembles that of Hakugyokurou's. My stomach announces lunchtime with an audible growl that makes Alice smile amusedly, and we sate our hunger with the fried rice I cook. Afterwards, she's about to retire to the second floor to practice for her performance, when a sound that could pass for thunder echoes through the house.

"HEEEY! OPEN UP -ZE!" Marisa's voice accompanies it.

I quickly rush to the door and yank it open. "Dammit, Marisa, knock softer!"

"Ahaha~ Sorry!"

_You don't look sorry._ I raise an eyebrow as I look over her clothes. "Borrowed those from Reimu?"

Marisa spreads her arms and spins around, her single braid flying as she shows off the shrine maiden clothing that Reimu wears all the time. "What do you think? Looks good on me, doesn't it?"

"Mm... doesn't really go with your blond hair, I think." _Plus the way you're resting the broom on your shoulder makes the whole appearance look weird._ I open the door wider. "So, you're helping out at the shrine?"

"Yep! That's why I'm wearing this -ze!" She grins, clearly enjoying showing off in different clothes.

I grin back. "Good thing you and her are both around the same size. You coming in?"

"Nah, I'm just dropping by. Off to see Reimu now!" Marisa takes off into a running start, leaping onto her broom with both feet.

_Wonder if she uses magic to stick herself on the broom when she rides like that._ I close the door and yawn. _Hm, maybe I'll take a nap. Haven't had one for a while. Better leave Alice a note so she'll wake me up._ Once I've written and left it out where she'll see it, I retire to my room, falling asleep easily despite the dolls' perpetual stare.

* * *

><p>"You really don't need my help, do you?" I ask, impressed by the speed at which the dolls are setting up Alice's stand for her.<p>

"Not really." Alice smiles back.

"Here, have some water." I hand her a cup which I asked Reimu for.

"Thank you." She drains it and hands it back. "So what are you going to be doing?"

"Reimu told me," I imitate the shrine maiden's tone of speech when we talked earlier, "'You're new here, so you should just enjoy your first festival!' So I don't have any job to do."

"She's right. Just take it easy." Alice points over at Suika. "Just like that oni."

"Haha, alright then." I approach Suika. "So, Shrine Maiden Suika, what will you be doing?"

Similar to Marisa, Suika's wearing the same shrine maiden outfit as Reimu, which fits her much more compared to the witch. Still, she's kind of spoiling the image with her unsteady posture and all the alcohol she's drinking from the gourd at her side.

"Ehehe~ It's a secret~" She holds a finger up in front of her mouth. "Just look forward to what's gonna happen!"

_Hmm, I have a strong feeling I know what she's planning. _"It's going to happen near the end, right?"

Suika nods. "Yep!"

"Then what are you going to do until then?"

"Have fun!"

"Have fun, my foot!" True to her word, Reimu comes out of nowhere to kick Suika. "You're supposed to be welcoming the villagers!"

"Che~ fine~" Her original intention disrupted, the oni slinks off to do her job.

"Then I'll-"

Reimu turns on me just as quickly as she appeared. "No! You're not allowed to work!" She orders fiercely.

_Woah, she's really fired up today... _"Fine..." _Is it because she put a lot of work into this? Or..._ On a whim, I wait until she's gone some distance away, and purposely drop a coin.

Almost immediately, Reimu zooms back, looking about wildly. "I heard something drop! Where?"

_Yep, she's more focused on making a cash cow out of this._ "Accidentally kicked a stone." I lie, my foot covering the coin.

"Hiya, Reimu, Ikuto!" Marisa smacks me on the back.

"Marisa? Why are you dressed like that?" Reimu gives the other girl a questioning look.

_What? So Marisa didn't borrow that from Reimu?_ I recall when Marisa first came to Alice's house to show off. _Oh yeah, she didn't actually state that she borrowed those from Reimu._

"Seeing Suika wear this in the morning made me feel like trying it out -ze." The witch-turned-shrine maiden answers shamelessly.

"Oh... well, please enjoy yourself." Looking a bit dissatisfied, she wanders off towards the forest around the shrine.

"Sure! Well, see ya later, Ikuto!"

_Reimu's in charge of security, Suika's playing receptionist, so... _I look towards the stall nearest to the shrine. _Guess I'll go look in on Mokou and Keine._

"Oh, there's a customer al- Ikuto?" Keine steps back in surprise on realizing it's me.

"Hello. What are you selling?"

Mokou comes around the side of the stall, carrying a tray filled with protective amulets. "Keine, here's the last of them. Oh, Ikuto."

"Just here to say hello. Protective amulets, huh? Oh, there's even those arrows." I look over the goods.

"Y-yes..." Keine replies unsteadily.

"Buying any?" Mokou doesn't seem to notice Keine's reaction.

I shake my head. "Don't think so. Anyway, Mokou, you sure you'll be okay? You're going to be interacting with the villagers up close."

She bristles a little. "I'm not _that_ bad at dealing with people."

Grinning, I lean over the table. "But you look really nice in that outfit, plus seeing your hair tied up makes you stand out a lot."

Instantly, Mokou blushes hard. "I-Idiot! Don't say that! And my hair would get in the way if I didn't tie it up!"

"See? What if some guy tells you that while buying stuff from you?" I tease, and turn to Keine. "Right?"

She nods shakily in agreement. "Y-yes..."

This time, Mokou notices. "Keine, what's the matter? You're acting funny."

"Eh?" Her friend flinches. "Ah, no, I'm fine!"

She doesn't believe that. "No, you're definitely acting strange. Isn't she, Ikuto?"

_I should avoid taking the frontal attack sometimes. _"Yeah. Maybe she's jealous."

Mokou looks puzzled while Keine flinches. "Jealous? Jealous of what?"

"Well, I did compliment you, so perhaps she's expecting one too."

Both of them stare at me dumbfounded.

_Yay for being insane! Let's try to recall how it was looking into Reisen's eyes..._ "So... Keine, you look really beautiful today. That shrine maiden look is quite refreshing."

"...You're speaking nonsense again." Keine sighs, and flaps her hand at me. "Shoo."

"See? She's treating me like normal again." I grin at Mokou, who grins back after realizing I'm right.

Keine sighs again. "You're both hopeless." But after saying that, she smiles.

_Guess that fixed our relationship. _All three of us chuckle over that small joke, when someone suddenly speaks up from behind me.

"Oh, you're... the person who led my son out of the forest, aren't you? Thank you very much for that." A woman bows to Mokou. "How much for one of these?"

"Looks like it's started. I'll leave you two to your work then." Nodding to them, I head for the stairs, intending to follow the crowd's progress as they start from the steps and make their way to the shrine.

"Oh, Ikuto! Over here!" I hear a familiar voice hail me as I draw near the torii.

"Hey, Boss. So this is your wife?" I greet the moderately pretty woman with black hair next to him. "Yukatas, huh?"

"Yes, this is my wife, Himeko. Himeko, this is Ikuto, you know, the one in the newspaper?" Boss introduces his wife to me."As for yukatas, it's a festival, isn't it? Why aren't you wearing one?"

"Don't have one."

"That's a waste, you know..." Himeko speaks with different Japanese speech style which I barely realize is there under Yukari's translation. "You could borrow some of my husband's spares if you'd just asked."

"There'll be other chances, I'm sure." I look around for Suika, and spot the tip of her horn sticking out from behind one of the torii's pillars. "I'm meeting a friend, so I'll be going now." WIth that excuse, I head for the oni.

"Welcome~" Suika waves to a family coming up, and they wave back. "Oh, Ikuto. Whatcha doin'?"

"Just came to look in on you." I nod to some villagers I know. "Did you invite her?"

"Her?" She looks confused at first, but then realizes who I'm referring to. "Ah, her. Yeah, I invited her."

"Okay, thanks." I pat her head. "Don't drink too much, okay?"

"I'll try~" Suika turns back to face the stairs again. "Welcome~"

It's honestly my first time attending a Japanese festival. The stalls line on either side of the wide stone path that leads to the shrine, selling food and toys, offering games and stuff... throw in the close-knit atmosphere of the village... and it's quite enjoyable.

"And so, the prince rode into the castle where the princess was held, and challenged the evil knight for her freedom." Alice narrates as she controls the dolls I helped her make last night.

_Though it's a bit funny to see a western-themed story in this eastern wonderland._ I muse to myself as I watch from a distance. _Well, I'd prefer stories that cater to an older audience than this, _I think to myself, looking at the crowd of children sitting on the few benches watching the show in rapture, _longer with less fairytale ending stuff. Not that they aren't bad once in a while..._

Alice catches sight of me in the crowd and gives me a cursory nod, most of her attention on the puppet performance. Seeing her busy, I move on, heading to where Kaguya, Eirin and Reisen were. Instead, I run into someone not entirely unexpected.

"Kochiya-san, good evening." I greet the girl with hair ornaments featuring a frog and a snake in her green hair wearing a shrine maiden outfit that resembles Reimu's somewhat.

She looks at me questioningly. "Oh, you are?"

_She's forgotten me. Well, not surprising given that we've only met each other once before._ "I'm Ikuto, remember?"

"Hm..." She studies my face closely. "I'm sorry, I don't really remember you."

"Oh well. But if you're here..." I look around. "Are those two around as well? Your goddesses, I mean."

"I haven't seen them..." Sanae's expression grows increasingly worried as she looks around with me. "Who knows what trouble they'll get up to if they run around unchecked..."

"Reimu's in charge of security, maybe you should ask her to keep an eye out for them? Or," I smirk as an idea pops into my mind, "You go to the lost children center-"

She interrupts me. "They're not kids!"

"And put out a call for them to come collect you." I finish.

"I'm not a kid either!" Sanae snaps back. "And I don't think this place would have a lost children center; it's not that big! And how do you know about-" Realization hits her. "Oh, _now_ I remember who you are."

I nod back, smirking. "Yep. So... since you know them well enough, do you think they'll get into trouble when things have only just started?"

"Now that you mention it..." She shakes her head. "If anything, they'll- I mean, she'll wait until things are near their climax."

"Who are you referring to?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Suwako-sama." She glances about again. "I guess I'll try to look for them while I visit the stalls."

"Alright then. Sorry for holding you up." I walk by her. "Hope you do find them."

This time, I manage to reach the Lunarians' stall, where Eirin's sitting behind the counter. Next to her is a positively harassed-looking youkai rabbit, its fur ruffled. The reason for that is a sign behind the rabbit, which I only manage to read when I'm close enough for Eirin to notice me in the crowd.

"Pay to pet the rabbit while you wait." I read the words on the sign out loud.

"Want to have a go?" She indicates the rabbit, who looks at me pitifully. "But I suppose this one has been here long enough. Alright, you can go," Eirin speaks to the rabbit, "Send out the next one to take your place."

I watch as the rabbit dashes off the counter and behind the stall. "That wasn't there when I came by earlier. And do people actually pay for that?"

She shrugs. "Some children thought the rabbits were very cute and wanted to touch them."

"Pretty smart. Tewi's okay with this?" I look past her to see the rabbits crowding around Tewi and Reisen as they work together to pound the rice cakes.

"Yes, she has agreed to it, so the rabbits will help. Ah," Eirin pats the spot where the first rabbit was, looking at the new rabbit that just jumped onto the counter. "Just stay there and don't move. I'll make sure you aren't treated too roughly."

The rabbit nods and settles into the same place as its predecessor, and a young girl comes up to Eirin with some money, pointing at the rabbit with undisguised eagerness on her face. Once the money has exchanged hands, the girl moves over to the rabbit and starts stroking its fur gently, cooing about how cute it was. Unlike the previous one, this rabbit seemed to enjoy the petting.

_Unless the previous one had a bunch of unruly kids petting it. _I turn and take a look at the line of customers queuing to have a taste of the 'Lunar Rabbit Rice Cake'. _Well, it's true that this kind of store would draw more of a crowd than a medicine store, but... _I glance at the extra packet that Eirin slips to one of the customers for more money than the price listed, _I guess there's some shady business going on at the same time._

"Oh, where's Kaguya?"

"Thanks for buying~" Eirin turns to me. "The princess said she didn't feel like coming tonight." Her tone made it clear what she thought about Kaguya's activities.

_I really turned her into a shut-in. Not sure if I should laugh or not._ "I see," I reply blandly, "One of these days, we need to do something about that. Anyway," I take another look at the line, "You're busy working here, so I'll be going first. Say hi to Reisen for me."

"Of course."

I spend a while going from store to store, eating light food as I strike up light conversations with villagers I know. Two times more I run into Sanae, while Marisa and Suika have vanished off somewhere. Occasionally, I catch sight of Reimu patrolling around the outskirts, or floating up in the sky for a better view of the area, though she glances at the stall manned by Mokou and Keine, as well as the donation box in front of the shrine.

When I look up, the sky is rapidly losing its orange tint to the encroaching darkness, but it's still enough for me to see the small descending figure with something red trailing from it. As I watch, it pauses, as though judging the situation, and suddenly darts downwards behind the shrine before anyone notices. Quickly, I cut between the stalls so I don't have to wade through the crowd, and head for the same place where she landed.

_I forgot to ask Reimu if she knew about Iku coming here. Hopefully, she'll let it pass. _I slow down as I turn the corner. "Hey. Glad you could make it." I greet the oarfish youkai as she rearranges her clothes.

"Thank you for your invitation. You did not invite the shinigami?"

"Can't help it. Most of the villagers can respect youkai, but Komachi would stand out too much. So," I offer my hand, "I and you will have to find some way to make it up to her."

"I am sure the two of us will be able to perform that task superbly." Iku places her hand in mine, and we head back to where the festival is, and the first place I lead her to is the shrine's stall.

"Would you be interested in buying one?" Keine asks politely, while Mokou watches us out of the corner of her eye.

"Perhaps I should... but I do not have the money."

I dig out my purse without any hesitation. "I'll pay for her. Which one, Iku?"

"One for me, and one for the shinigami... that would be quite appropriate. But are you sure about paying for me?" Iku studies the various types of good luck charms.

Keine looks at me curiously. "A shinigami? How did you get to know such people?"

"It's fine, Iku. As for how I know them, that's kind of a long story. I'll tell you some other time."

"You better." Mokou mutters loud enough for me to hear as I pay for Iku's choices.

In my plan to show Iku around the festival, I forgot about one very important thing: I'm very well known thanks to Aya. So appearing next to Iku, who stands out a lot in her clothes, makes me the center of attention. By the fifth stall we visit, I've already lost count of how many people come up to me asking if she's my new 'conquest'.

"No, Boss, she's not. She's a friend I'm showing around the festival." I repeat the same old spiel tiredly.

"Okay, I believe you on that. But," He lowers his voice, gesturing behind him, "You better explain it to _her_."

"Oh, hi Reisen." I greet, as Boss leads his wife away.

"Ikuto, mind introducing the person next to you to me?" The moon rabbit asks in a deceptively sweet voice as she approaches us.

"Sure. This is Iku Nagae. She's from above the clouds. I asked Suika to invite her." _Crap, I'm babbling a bit._

"And how do you know her?"

"We met at the Sanzu River." Iku speaks up, and when I glance at her, there's a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

_Since when was she so... oh right, thanks to our gatherings._ I wince inwardly as Reisen's eyes widen in shock, then narrow dangerously.

"Ikuto, since when did you go to the Sanzu River?"

"Hmm... since the first time I met you?" I reply flippantly.

Iku picks that time to speak again. "We have had various meetings since then."

"And what do these... _meetings_ involve?"

"We play games." _Short and straight._

"...Really?" Reisen's tone is still suspicious.

I put my hands on her shoulders and meet her eyes squarely. "Trust me, it's similar to the kind of games that the children play."

She looks away. "Okay, I believe you. And stop trying to look at my eyes."

"Why not? They're pretty."

"Amidst the warm mood of merrymaking, some couples share a tender moment." Iku observes dryly.

"That's not a tender moment!" Reisen defends herself hurriedly.

"I was referring to another couple... yet why do you rush to deny?"

_Iku's developed a taste for this kind of joke, huh? _"Alright already. Reisen, why don't you introduce Iku to Eirin? I need to go see to something." I say, spotting a clear summons.

Reisen grunts, and beckons to Iku. "Fine. Come along."

"I suppose we shall be seeing each other later." Iku nods to me as she follows after Reisen.

With that matter avoided, I head over to Reimu. "What's wrong?"

"One of the parents told me that her child is missing." She looks around at the crowd. "I've been looking around, but I can't handle it on top of the patrolling."

"Which child? Do you know?" I ask sharply.

"I'm not sure of the name, but the lost girl has brown hair in a ponytail. Can you help me find her?"

_It's Kazuko again. Knowing her, she's probably... in the forest._ I nod. "Probably another hide-and-seek game. I'll go look for her."

"Thanks. Let me know if you have any trouble." So saying, Reimu flies back up into the air.

I start by examining the forest behind the stalls on either side. _Hm, no, she won't hide there. There's too much illumination from the lanterns, and she's not the type to go deep into the woods. So..._ I change my course towards the back of the shrine. _Hmm... it's quieter here. Can hardly hear the crowd, but I can't see much either. _I give it a while for my vision to get used to the darkness before stepping among the trees, but before I go ten meters, a loud snap echoes through the quiet woods, courtesy of the twig I stepped on.

There's some rustling, ahead and to my left. "Kazuko? Is that you?"

"Ah! Ikuto-nii! Why are you here?" I hear her hi-energy voice answer me. "Ah, are you playing too? Then I have to hide!" More rustling as she hides again.

I start forward, taking care not to step or run into anything. "Idiot. I'm not playing. Your parents are worried, so-"

"Grrrrr..." Something growls threateningly deeper in the woods.

"...Kazuko. Come over here, quietly." I lower my voice, but continue onwards.

"Ikuto-nii... what is that?" She whimpers, the fear evident in her voice.

"Don't say anything. Just come here. Hurry!" I hiss.

The girl darts over and hides behind me, and we back away slowly. Whatever the thing is, it's still following us, judging by the sound of the grass being trampled from the front. Cautiously, I reach for the key, when a brief lance of moonlight illuminates it, making Kazuko squeak.

My hand stops. "Kazuko... what did you see?"

"It's big and black..." I can feel her shaking being transferred to me.

"What else?" We continue backing away, and it continues to follow us.

"It's really ugly and hairy, and it's got big fangs..."

I take a risk and glance behind. "Okay... Kazuko, when I tell you to, run and don't look back." _Five, four, three, two, one..._ "NOW! GO!"

"GRAAAAAR!" It pounces, heading for me.

"EEEEEEEEEEeeeeee...!" Despite her fear, Kazuko doesn't freeze up.

_Heh, it's been a while since I took on a youkai bare-handedly. Must be because I looked Reisen in the eyes earlier... but,_ I backpedal quickly to reduce the incoming force, _I shouldn't be hurt too seriously._

"RRRRRAAAA- ungh!" The youkai wheezes as I let myself fall backwards so I can drive my feet into its belly. "Gah!"

"Hngh!" Using its momentum, I launch it over me. "Come on then!" I challenge, scrambling to my feet.

"Rrrr..." It paces around me, cautious now that its first attack had failed. "RAH!"

I step in, rotating my left arm up and around to deflect its thrust. "YAH!" With the same arm, I thrust forward, and smack it across the face, making it stumble back.

"Yeow! That hurts!" The youkai snaps, glaring at me. "Why aren't you scared?"

I stay silent, circling around. _Wonder how long before she realizes it..._

"What is it you see, huh! And why aren't you scared!" It demands again.

"Come on then! Bring it on!" I challenge, pretending not to hear.

"Fine! Let's see how long you can keep this up! RAH!"

This time, I fake a slow dodge, letting her push me down, taking care not to knock my head against the ground. Still the impact jars my vision a little, but it's not enough to make me lose sight of that toothy grin. And the force behind the grip on my biceps aren't a joke either.

"So... are you scared yet?" The youkai asks, bringing her face close. "But you can't hear me, can you?"

_I can hear you just fine. But... _I take note of her position. _My opponent has the mounted position, though her foundation isn't really good... it's been so many years since I practiced groundwork._ "Hmph! Trying to scare me, are you?" I keep up the bluff.

"Rrrrr..." She responds with a dangerous-sounding growl.

_And... now!_ I brace my feet on the ground, and push up hard, unbalancing her. _One arm's free now, grab the sleeve! And then, the other side! _This time, I push off again, except angling it towards the opposite direction of the first, aided with the force of my pull.

"Woah!" The youkai yelps in surprise as I turn her over, the two of us ending up in the open half-guard position.

_Legs aren't locked around yet, so-! _I slip one arm around her left leg, lifting it up so I can slip around to her side before she realizes what I'm doing. _Huh, I'm molesting a youkai... you shut up, stupid part._ Closing in on my knees, I grip her bicep with my left hand and pull her body up slightly.

"What are you doing!" She yelps. "Let go!"

Next, I swing my legs around, bracing one knee under her shoulder while snaking my right arm around her neck. Feeling movement in the arm I'm gripping, I quickly wrap my arm around it, and clamp it against my side before she can stab me with the weapon she's holding. With that, I've completed the scarf hold, like I learned long ago in jujitsu.

"Let go! Why you! Let me go!" I duck my head to avoid the swipes from the other hand. "Can't you see I'm a girl?"

"Oh, you're a girl?" _Did she release her power? Can't really tell._

"Yes! So let me go!"

"Then what happened to that huge beast earlier?" I ask innocently.

"Uhh..."

The moon peeks out from a passing cloud, clearly illuminating the face of Nue Houjuu. Her black hair is messy after our tumble on the ground, and from where I am, I can see the sleeve of her black dress and one of her red wings on the ground. Also, I can feel the shaft of her trident against my side, and despite her small size, the power in that frame of hers is strong enough that I have to struggle to keep her held down.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" She asks, her tone filled with annoyance.

"Hmm... I wonder why~?" _Well, I suppose her power doesn't work fully because I already knows how she looks like. _I think, remembering the sight of her true form beneath a black mist just a while ago.

"Damn it, how can a human like you do this to me!" She struggles, and slaps my side painfully with her free hand. "Let go!"

_Ouch... that hurts._ "Stop hitting me!"

"Let go!" She whacks me again.

"Fine then!" I twist my body, retrieving my right arm to increase the control I have on hers, and slinging my legs around to put her in an armbar. "Punish...MENT!"

"Owowowowwwww!" Nue tries to hit me with her other arm, but with my feet braced on the elbow, she can't produce enough force to hurt like before. "I give! I give!"

Relaxing the pressure a bit, I remove the trident from her grip and toss it aside. "Hmm... nice moon tonight..."

"I said I give already! Let me go!" She struggles, but I just exert force again. "Owowowow!"

"Who's that? Ikuto?" Suika sticks her head out over the edge of the roof. "What are you doing down there? And who is that with you?"

"Oh, Suika? Why are you-" I shake my head. "Never mind, could you call Byakuren here? I think she should be in the crowd."

The oni nods, and her head slips out of view. "Byakuren~ You're wanted at the back~" Her voice calls out.

"Wait, you can't be serious! Let me go, please!" Nue pleads, her face paling.

I focus on maintaining the hold, waiting for the one person who warned me about this. Eventually, after what feels like half an hour, footsteps approach the two of us.

"So this is where you were, Nue."

"B-B-B-Byakuren..." The youkai stutters on seeing the leader of the Myouren Temple.

"That's not good, Nue. I told you not to do anything during the festival, didn't I?" The woman standing over her chides.

"I, I can explain this!"

"Of course. I'd like to hear the reason why there's a child crying back there." Byakuren glances at me. "Ikuto-kun, let her up, please."

_I need to know how to do that dark aura while smiling thing. _"Sure." I release my hold and get to my feet, dusting off my clothes.

The subsequent lecture given by Byakuren isn't anything fierce, but clearly there's something underlying, since Nue keeps shivering in fear as she listens in the seiza position. Afterwards, she tearfully apologizes to Kazuko for scaring her, before Byakuren escorts her off the premises. Since Byakuren interceded on her behalf, most of the villagers are quite forgiving of the whole affair, even Kazuko herself.

Reimu pats my back. "Good work, Ikuto."

"Where were you?" I ask curiously.

She suddenly looks away. "I wasn't slacking off, you know." Reimu mumbles.

_But you're making me think you are._ "Oh well... as long as nothing big happened..."

"There is one, you know." Her tone turns serious.

"What?"

"I mean, there's going to be one." Grinning, Reimu waves in the direction of the shrine. "Do it, Suika!"

"Gotcha~ Danmaku fireworks, coming right up!"

A dark ball flies upwards into the night sky, its motion resembling something that had been thrown. Then it explodes in a burst of multicolor streams, drawing appreciative cries from the villagers below. More follow, and I trace the path of a shooting star back to Marisa, who somehow managed to change back into her usual clothes. Like I had guessed, the thing Suika mentioned was a fireworks show.

"Not joining in?" I murmur just loud enough for Reimu to hear.

"As if. I'm only here to-" Her eyes narrow. "Che! I should have expected this."

"Suwako-sama!" Sanae's voice calls out somewhere to my left. "What are you doing up there, it's dangerous!"

"Ha ha ha! Mere fireworks aren't enough to entertain me!" Childish laughter comes back in reply. "So let's spice things up!"

I squint at the bright display, finally spotting the small figure among the lights, made even smaller by her elevation. Suwako Moriya, the hidden goddess of the Moriya Shrine, was drifting left and right, avoiding the last remnants of Suika's and Marisa's fireworks. As I watch, she spreads her big-sleeved arms wide, looking down at the crowd.

"A danmaku free-for-all! All challengers are welcome, even you, Sanae! If not, you're welcome to watch, but be careful not to get hit!"

_Hm, can't see under her skirt. Damn it, stop coming up with stupid ideas, stupid part._ I glance in the direction of the Moriya shrine maiden. _Doesn't look like she's going to go up. _"Reimu, what are you going to do?"

"I already set up wards, so the crowd should be safe. Just in case though, help me make sure, will you?"

I nod, and start walking through the crowd as Reimu flies up. In the distance, Suika, Reisen and Marisa do the same. I find Sanae and Iku, and enlist their help as well once I've confirmed that they aren't taking part. Needless to say, neither are Mokou, Keine or Alice, who are already doing the same job without needing me to ask. I can't really block a wide range of danmaku like the others do, but at the very least, I can redirect those on the outskirts closer to the field of protection.

"Eey! Aye am the strongest!" I hear from overhead.

_Wait, when did Cirno turn up? _I look up and count. _One, two, three, four, five... six... seven... Seven. But none of them are Reimu. Who are the other two? Can't see clearly with all the lights involved. But... _I buy a drink from the drinks stall. _It's really a lot more interesting to watch than the earlier fireworks. Oh, someone dropped out already? Nice, Cirno. _I track the block of ice as it falls out of the battle to shatter somewhere among the trees, walking to the shrine to get a seat.

Someone else is already there. "Huh, what are you doing here?" I ask, sitting next to her.

"I was just making sure that none of the other onlookers were going to join in as well." Reimu answers, sipping some tea.

"Let me guess... Kanako?" She nods. "Then... Yukari."

Reimu nods again. "Aya as well. She said she wasn't going to write an article on... this." The shrine maiden gestures towards the battle raging over the festival.

"Probably because other tengus would cover it first." I glance at another combatant getting taken out. "Are you going to join in?"

"Not interested." She replies shortly. "I'll probably-"

Without thinking, I whip the key out, slipping the length of Future Gazer through the metal ring that came hurtling at us. The force is tremendous, nearly wrenching my wrist as it whirls around the shaft, but it eventually comes to a stop.

"I thought you said the shrine was protected." I flick the ring off and catch it in my other hand, studying it for a moment before flinging it back into the fray. _Oh, somebody yelped._

Reimu rises to her feet. "It should have been... but somehow they're gone. Unless..." Her eyes flick all over the place, searching out things I can't see. "Some_one_ removed them only around the shrine. Someone like..."

We both name our suspected culprit at the same time. "Yukari."

"So, what will you do?" I ask casually, switching to Wavebreaker to shoot down another incoming projectile.

"I'm going to end it. Right now. Before my shrine gets destroyed." Reimu pulls out her gohei grimly.

_And before the funds you made get used to rebuild the shrine._ I keep that thought to myself as I watch her fly into the middle of the battle. _Wait... is she pulling out a spell card? Oh shit. _I dart back into the crowd, common sense compelling me to stay within safe protection.

"Spell card: **Fantasy Heaven**." The voice of Reimu heralds the end of the show.

* * *

><p>Yet another chapter complete! Sorry to those who were expecting the festival to be longer, but there's actually not much things to do, so I ended up squeezing Cirno's battle into it as well. Certainly, having Reimu's Last Word spell card (I repeat, I've never played the shooters) makes for an interesting ending.<p>

As always, randomness. It's a bit hard trying to get up an angle for Alice, though. Same for Keine, though I have an inkling of an idea.

Quite a lot of fighting moves used during the posing in Cirno's battle. Street Fighter, Naruto, Naruto, Kore wa Zombie Desuka, Naruto, Street Fighter. Ikuto's running out of moves he hasn't used before.

Not sure what else to say, but please keep on reading, even though I might be losing momentum sometimes.


	20. Chapter 19: Dinner Invitations?

Thanks to all my readers. This chapter will be shorter than usual, reasons at the end.

* * *

><p><em>"I can't believe you didn't invite me!" Komachi turns her back on me, unpleased at being left out.<em>

_"I'm sorry, I have no excuse." I apologize on my knees. "I'll do anything to make it up to you."_

_"Anything? Really?" She looks over her shoulder at me._

_I nod. "Anything."_

_"Alright. Then I want you to..." Komachi tells me her request._

_I'm silent for a while. "You do know my body isn't really here, right?"_

_"You did say anything." She reminds me._

_"How am I supposed to get the materials? And don't forget, I only come here every three days."_

_"It would appear that she is not truly angry at you." Iku murmurs her observation. "And was simply waiting for such an offer."_

_"Shh! You didn't have to tell him that!"_

Geh... I should have realized it was this situation after all._ "Well, I did promise, but how should I go about doing it? It's not like I can ask the village craftsmen to deliver here."_

_"Hmph! Find a way to do it then." Komachi turns her back on me again._

_"And also," I continue, "Won't Shikieiki find out about it if she comes?"_

_"Geh." She twitches. "I didn't think of that."_

_"That will not be a problem. I am willing to take responsibility for that."_

_Komachi grins. "There you have it, Iku will cover for you."_

_"Fine. I'll think of something." I answer, feeling a bit surly over the whole business._

_She suddenly nudges me. "Ikuto..."_

_"What?"_

_"I don't mind helping you if you need my help." Komachi offers in a serious tone._

_"Then it wouldn't be-" I stop, realizing that I can't do it without her. _Her distance manipulation ability would be essential._ "Alright, I accept, even though I'm not too sure about things yet."_

_"Certainly, it would be quite an improvement if you were to accomplish that." Iku steps closer. "And also, as I was with Ikuto, it stands to reason that I should offer my existence too."_

_"Thanks, you two." _Oh, there's that pull. _"I'll think of something. For now, I have to go first."_

_"Let us know soon~" Komachi wiggles her fingers in a lazy wave._

* * *

><p>I left the shop of the carpenter Boss had directed me to, and stretched muscles that were stiff with inaction after a bout of serious exercise before looking at my companion. "Thanks for the help, Keine."<p>

"You're welcome, Ikuto." She studies me curiously. "I was surprised when you suddenly asked for my help in this."

I shrug. "A friend I did not invite to the festival was very displeased about it, so I'm trying to make it up to her."

"The shinigami you mentioned." Keine guesses.

"Yep."

"You did say that you would tell me how you got to know someone like that."

_She remembered. _"Well, there's some time before it's time for dinner, so... back at your place?"

Keine nods, and leads the way.

Ever since our exchange during the festival, my relationship with Keine has returned to how it was when I was staying with Mokou: warm and friendly, which is how I like it to be. Still, there are things that neither of us mention, which hangs over our conversations like a shadow... or perhaps more under it like a thin plank that will eventually break under the building pressure. Both of us can feel it every time either of us redirects a potentially threatening subject away from outright mention of those issues. And as usual, I'm not skilled enough to be able to see what lies after it breaks.

"Come on in." Keine invites. "I'll make tea for us."

"Excuse the intrusion." I murmur out of habit as I step into her school.

Once the steaming cups are placed before both of us, Keine takes her seat across me, oddly reminiscent of that time. This time, I start without waiting for her to ask me to, telling her how I had first met Komachi at the Sanzu River after the near-death experience, then how it came to become a regular cycle, glossing over the full details of Yuyuko's involvement. But from the expression Keine shows when I mention Yuyuko, she knows exactly what sort of interaction we had, especially since Aya touched on that issue in a previous article.

"So most of the time, the three of us just play games and stuff." I finish.

Keine's expression is thoughtful. " I see. For a moment, I thought..."

"That my relationship with them is like the one I have with the others?"

She nods. "That would be the logical conclusion."

"Well... I don't really know about that..." _I do like being with Komachi and Iku, but do I really...?_

She stares at me for a while, but before she can speak, I start talking again.

"If I were to put it... my relationship with them would be similar to the one I have with you. Minus the games and such, of course."

"Similar?"

"You know, close friends." I explain.

"I see..." Keine doesn't say anything more than that.

_There it is. If we went any further, we'd reach that subject again._ The next few minutes is filled with everyday chatter, totally unrelated to the earlier conversation.

"Well, I better be going..." I sigh, draining the last of my tea. "Let's talk again some other time."

"I'll see you off-" Keine begins, but I stop her with a shake of my head.

"No need. I already owe you for your help earlier." I stop just at the door. "We should have dinner next time. You, me and Mokou."

"I'll try to arrange it." She promises me.

Instead of returning back to Alice's house, I head for the bridge that leads to Remilia's mansion. I didn't expect Sakuya to turn up yesterday extending a dinner invitation to Alice and me. I was expecting Alice to turn it down, but she said it would be a good idea to get Patchouli to look at my Keyblade, so...

"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" I greet Alice, who's already at our meeting place.

"A bit. What kept you?" She didn't look particularly bothered.

"My business with Keine took longer than expected. Shall we go?"

We cross the bridge, talking little, but considerably more than our usual amount. Guess she's gradually warming up to me, though at a slower rate compared to all of the other girls before.

"Do you really think I can use doll control magic like you do?" I bring up the topic we were discussing last night.

"It's probably difficult, but not impossible." Alice concedes.

"Difficult because my magic power is next to none. Well," I muse out loud, "I can't really use dolls the way you do, but I suppose learning some control wouldn't hurt."

"It might influence your Keyblades' abilities." She agrees.

Further conversation is stopped by the sight of Meiling, who's awake and waiting for us. "Lady Remilia's expecting the both of you. Go on in." She pulls the gate open for us to pass through.

"Thanks."

The sight of the entrance hall after the big double doors leaves me speechless; I've entered this mansion only once through a back entrance, but what I saw there hardly corresponds to the size of the hall. It's big enough to fit at least four houses of the size of Alice's house, by my estimation. But speechless doesn't mean motionless, since Sakuya's waiting for us.

The head maid greets us with a bow. "Welcome. Please, follow me. I will lead you to the dining room."

_Knowing that all this is Sakuya's handiwork makes me look at her with more respect._ I follow her through one of the doors, entering into a familiar-looking room. _Dark red walls plus glowing design on the floor. This is that stage in SWR, wasn't it?_

After that room, we pass through a high-ceilinged corridor filled with random paintings and some busts that are obviously of Remilia, before emerging into the dining room. Already seated at the end of the long table within is the mistress of the mansion, wearing the same clothes I saw her in long ago. A single blink, and suddenly two chairs have been shifted outwards for me and Alice to sit in, and Sakuya has vanished.

"Please, have a seat. The food will be here soon." Remilia invites, indicating both chairs. "I'm glad you came, Ikuto."

_No mention of Alice... somehow... I can't help but feel nervous. She's planning something, I'm sure. _"Thank you for the invitation." I keep my answer short to prevent my nervousness from leaking out.

"No need to be so tense. I'm not going to eat you." She props her chin on the back of her hands, softly smiling.

_But vampires have high sensitivity, so..._ "No, I'm sure you won't." I reply, and take the seat closest to her.

"Remilia, where's Patchouli?" Alice interrupts.

The vampire shrugs. "In her library, where else?"

"Milady, Lady Patchouli said she will be joining us as well." Sakuya suddenly appears next to Remilia with a laden trolley. "Here, Milady."

Just as Sakuya finished placing a plate in front of Alice, the other door to this room opens, admitting a short girl dressed in purple clothes with purple hair, with red ribbons on one side and blue on the other. Judging from her unsteady gait, she had just landed on her feet after flying through the corridors. The resident sorceress of the mansion, Patchouli Knowledge, totters over to the seat opposite mine, and sits in it with a nod of thanks to Sakuya as the maid puts another plate in front of her.

"Patchy, we have guests."

Patchouli sighs and removes the glasses on her face. "I can see that, Remi." She replies dryly. "Good evening to you, Alice. And you must be Ikuto."

Alice nods back. "Good evening."

"Yes. Pleased to meet you, Miss-?"

"Patchouli Knowledge. You can call me Patch- *cough cough*" She suddenly breaks into coughs. "Excuse me, I am not particularly healthy." She continues in a weak voice. "As I was saying, you can call me by my first name, Patchouli."

"Okay, Patchouli." I try pronouncing her name.

Remilia taps the table impatiently. "Now that the introductions are done, let's eat dinner."

The meal before me is a hamburger steak with a fried egg; a Western-influenced Japanese dish, if I'm not wrong. Picking up the knife and fork, I cut a piece and put it into my mouth. As I chew, I glance around at the others. Alice and Patchouli are eating quietly, but they seem to sense my attention on them, and return my glance, while Remilia smirks and licks a bit of sauce from her lips. Sakuya ignores me.

"This is delicious, Izayoi-san!" I compliment her after swallowing.

"Thank you." She murmurs back, but doesn't look at me.

"Perhaps you would like to eat this every day?" Her mistress tempts.

_So that's her intention? _Next to me, Alice jerks, her fork clanging hard against her plate. "I'll think about it..." I reply softly, "There's no hurry, is there?"

"Better sooner than later, right?"

"Remilia, isn't that impolite of you? I'm right here, after all." Alice interrupts tersely.

"Call it being prepared." Remilia smirks. "Besides, it's not up to you who he chooses to stay with and how long he does."

Alice reacts uncharacteristically. "Remilia! You-!"

"Alice." I shake my head slightly, and she breaks off, looking disgruntled.

"Remi. I do not wish to have my dinner interrupted." Patchouli comes to my aid against the vampire, who clicks her tongue with the air of a child that has no choice but to give up on a favorite toy.

The rest of the dinner passes in silence with a heavy air hanging over the place. Remilia and Alice keep exchanging looks, Alice's hostile, Remilia's condescending. Fearing Remilia would try to use magic lessons with Patchouli as bait and setting Alice off again, I avoid bringing it up during the meal, eating the rest of the food quietly.

"Sakuya, I feel like looking at the garden tonight. Bring me tea there." Remilia didn't wait for a reply, but sweeps out of the room.

"As you wish, Milady." I hear as her maid leaves the place.

"Whew." I exhale, and look at Patchouli.

"Don't mind her. Now," The sorceress leans back in her chair, "There's something you wish of me, isn't there?"

"I've been examining his weapon, and it's been quite a mystery so far." Alice supplies, "I'm sure you would be the best person capable of uncovering its secrets."

"Hm. Follow me, then."

* * *

><p>If the entrance hall was big in terms of area, Patchouli's library was big in terms of height. Bookshelves went up so high I had to stand back far away with my head tilted back to the maximum angle to see the top. And every single one of them are packed full of thick books... a bookworm's heaven. Of course, I'm not there to read...<p>

"Step closer a bit more." Patchouli instructs.

I advance cautiously. "This far?"

"How do you feel?" Alice asks.

"Fuzzy... but manageable." I rub the ache on my chest. "I think that's the limit."

"I'm surprised you managed to snap out of a succubus's charm on your own." Patchouli gestures at the fourth person in the library. "Koakuma, stay that distance away from him, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Patchouli."

Koakuma, the redheaded succubus assistant librarian, confirms the distance once more, and leaves to continue her duties. Our first encounter was a bit unexpected, when she ran _straight_ into me with all the books blocking her vision. It was shocking enough for me... for a moment, it felt like my priorities was being rewritten, even my perception of someone like Kaguya was in danger of being altered. Luckily, I had a habit I developed when I needed to stay awake in class, and slammed a fist into my chest right where my heart was located. (1) I really do have weird habits...

It snapped me out of it enough to quickly increase the gap between us. Of course, with such a 'threat' around, there's a definite need to lay out safety procedures and stuff, which is the reason for the experiment we had just now. The safe range is about four meters, by my estimation.

"So, now that the immediate problem has been settled, shall we?" Patchouli invites, indicating a desk. "I'd like to see this weapon."

"Here." I pull out Future Gazer and place it on the desk, stepping back so she can take a look at it.

"Alice, you've done your own research already, I presume?"

"Of course." Alice pulls out a notebook, filled with notes that are similar to what I have written in mine. "Have a look."

The sorceress takes it and flips through it quickly, making sounds of interest and surprise as she does. Finally, she returns the book to Alice and scrutinizes the Keyblade. "It certainly is a rare kind of magic... no, I don't think it's entirely magic in the first place..." She murmurs.

"Then what else is involved?" I ask, curious.

Patchouli glances at me. "That will require further research into the conditions. For now, I would like to confirm some of its characteristics with my own eyes. Let's start with range."

As before, the maximum distance Future Gazer can go from me without reverting is around three meters. After that, I demonstrate the 'selective phasing' ability of the various Keyblade forms, plus a few of the specific abilities. Throughout the entire process, Patchouli and Alice keep up a complicated exchange about rules and theories of magic I can barely grasp, which serves to help me comprehend just how much Alice had simplified the information she told me. And of course, there are other things to inspect besides the key itself.

"Interesting..." Patchouli clears her throat noisily as she leans over the chain on my wrist. "Based on what you've told me, each chip seems to serve as a store for the information required to manifest the corresponding form."

"But given the form and abilities of each, each transformation should take far longer than it normally does," interrupts Alice, "based off the laws of magic we know."

"Unless there are other factors involved. And also-" Patchouli breaks off, looking past me with an alarmed expression.

Alice and I tense up as well; I don't even need to turn around to know that there's someone coming up behind me... someone whom I've never met before... and totally dangerous, enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. There's only one person in this place who fits those conditions.

"Alice... how close is she?" I murmur as soft as I can manage.

"Very." Her answer comes just as I feel a poke at my back.

"Who are you?" A high-pitched, innocent voice asks, and I turn to look.

A small blond girl wearing a white mob cap and red clothes stands there, looking up at me with a curious gaze that is both playfully innocent and lacking emotional empathy at the same time. Flandre Scarlet, Remilia's younger sister, also has wings that consist of colored crystals hanging off iron black... wing bones?... extending from her back.

"I'm called Ikuto." I reply evenly, going down on one knee to put me on eye level with her. "And your name is?"

"I'm Flandre." She tilts her head slightly, staring at my face. "Where did Onii-chan come from?"

"From the outside. Your sister invited me."

"Onee-sama (2) did?"

I nod. "Alice is here too."

Flandre leans to side to check. "Oh. Hello." is all she says before facing me again.

_She's staring... and staring... and staring... _I know about how you're not supposed to look vampires in the eyes, but after Reisen... I blink.

"Ah, you blinked first!" Flandre laughs, grinning toothily.

"Okay, okay. You win. I have something to do, so do you-"

She interrupts me mid-sentence. "I want to play!"

_Those four words sound like the pronunciation of doom on me. Thank god I've thought of a possible solution way back then... hope this works._ "Next time, okay? In exchange," I bite down hard on the tip of my left middle finger, drawing blood, "Here's a treat for now."

She sniffs curiously as Alice gasps from behind. "What- Mmph! Mm? Mmm..."

_I'm taking some crazy risk here, feeding her my blood. _I think while watching Flandre suck the blood from my finger. _This reminds me of letting my dog lick the leftover juice from the chicken wings I ate. Five... four... three... two... one._

"Okay, that's enough for now." I pull my finger out, wincing as one of her fangs catches on the wound when she tries to resist. "We'll play next time, okay?" I pat her on the head with my right, smiling as reassuringly as I can.

"Will you let me drink some more then?" Flandre's breathing erratically, and her eyes... they're making me nervous with how they're flicking between my eyes and my injured finger.

"If you're good." I bring my hand down to her shoulder, pushing it slightly in a silent signal for her to leave. "Okay, I have things to do, Flandre. See you next time."

"Okay! Goodbye, Onii-chan!"

It's not until her figure vanishes into the shadows of the bookshelves that I release the breath I had been holding in unconsciously. That experience might have shaven years off my life... especially since there was a high risk she would demand more of my blood, or insist I 'play' with her, in which case I would most likely be dead.

"If you were trapped in a burning house, I'm sure you would try to escape by running into the fire." Patchouli's words echoes my thoughts.

Alice pokes me in the back. "Don't scare me like that, Ikuto."

"Not really intentional..." I get to my feet and pick up the key. "Patchouli, here's another effect you should see." I bring out Blaze Revive to heal my wound.

We spend about another hour before Alice decides we've spent long enough, and leave with Patchouli's invitation to come back for further testing in future. As it's already dark, we fly home, Alice's dolls carrying me in the air next to her. It is an experience that is much more uncomfortable compared to flying on Marisa's broom... almost enough to make me wish I'd spent the night at the mansion instead.

So, I've survived my encounter with both sisters, and received another invitation to return once more, not to mention the long term alternative. Just why does Remilia want me to stay in her mansion? Thinking about it keeps me up later than normal, but in the end, I come to a decision.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion will be the third stop after Alice's place. If all goes well, that is.

* * *

><p>(1) Got the idea from the Heart-Break shot from Hajime no Ippo<p>

(2) BIg sister.

Been busy with stuff like games, such as Magicka, so I'm keeping this chapter short like my initial ones. Might be boring for some readers...

Hell of a way to head off Flandre, don't you think?


	21. Chapter 20: Humble the Sky Child

"Alright, give it another try." Alice instructs.

I reach for the small ball I use when I alter my temperature, and ease out a thin wire from it. Next, I draw it through my right arm, right until the end emerges from the index finger, and touch it to the body of the stuffed doll I made. The ones I make can't match up to Alice's ones, so I made one that resembles the sackdolls from Little Big Planet, and it's a pretty good replication, I have to admit. Button eyes and a makeshift mouth that can open and close on a big head, plus rough stitching and club-like limbs.

"That's it. Now do it like before."

_Hope it works well this time._ I picture the end taking root inside the body, and extending its range from there to the rest of the doll. _Move!_

It jerks, the limbs stiffening out. It's hard, but after all the past attempts, I've kind of gotten the hang of it. I add more links between the core in the doll and my other fingers, each digit taking control of a limb. The doll responds when I wiggle my fingers, shaking its limbs and head like it's making a snow angel.

"Uh... how do I make it stand?" I try unsuccessfully to make it do so. "I can't get any balance on this."

"The core is meant to be the support. Shape it like a foundation pillar."

_Harder than it sounds._ "Hmm... I think I got it." _It's like trying to make a cylinder stand using only two fingertips and minimal force._

The doll stands up shakily, and takes a few unsteady steps. It's a bit like manipulating the analog sticks on a Playstation controller, and with that image in mind, it becomes easier to make it move. Once again, I'm thankful that I practiced multitasking all my skills, as it enables me to keep it standing as I move.

"That's good. Make it move around." Alice's tone is one of approval.

I move my index finger in a fast pecking motion, and the doll responds with a flurry of left jabs. Pulling in my thumb and little finger together makes it jump, and I send it running around the table between us.

"You've managed to master the basics. Next, you should try to cut down on the finger movements."

"Like this?" I reduce the movement of my fingers to slight twitches, magnifying the intensity of my commands to produce a more pronounced response.

"Yes. You catch on fast. We should be able to move on to using less fingers sooner than expected."

I make my doll walk over to Shanghai, who's sitting down on the table near Alice. She gets up as it draws closer, and her blue eyes lock onto its slightly shorter counterpart tottering towards her. A twitch of my middle finger, and the mouth curves in a wide smile.

What comes next happens so fast it takes me by total surprise. Shanghai swings one hand out and delivers a quick _slap_ across its face, sending the sackdoll tumbling across the table. The impact jars the link, causing it to shatter and retract automatically into my core, leaving my doll limp and lifeless where it landed. I stare at the victim of the attack for a while, before giving Alice an accusing look.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." She apologizes, trying her best to hide her amusement.

I decide to just let it pass. "So, what next?" I ask as I retrieve the doll.

"The more you practice, the better the affinity between you and your doll will get. But we can do that some other time." Alice starts sending out dolls towards the kitchen. "For now, let's have lunch."

I stand up and stretch. We've been spending a long time at the table, so my body's stiff. "It's mentally tiring... sparring as usual after lunch?"

"Certainly."

I pick up the sackdoll and put it away on a shelf, before heading over to help out with lunch preparations. _I'll avenge you. _I promise it.

* * *

><p><em>"Tiling's done." A tiny voice informs me from behind.<em>

_"Mmf, 'anks." I mumble through the last nail in my mouth as I hammer another one into the wood. "What's left?" I ask after freeing up my mouth._

_"Nuthin much, we can take care of it." Another tiny voice, similar to the first, chimes in._

_"Really, thanks for helping us out, Suika. Or should I say, Suikas?" I turn around to face the speakers after pounding in the final nail._

_A... I wish I could say horde, but there's only about ten plus of them, but when they're all crowded together, it really looks like one. _The real one's over there bringing in all the tatami mats like they weigh nothing.

_"Yer welcome." They chorus, and patter off._

_It has been slightly more than two weeks since I started staying with Alice, and after thinking about how to build a small house for Komachi, I decided that it would go fastest if I enlisted Suika. She's only too happy to comply, since it means another place for her to party. Wonder if this means I'll only see her when I come here though._

_With Suika's strength and the whole bunch of her mini selves, we finish building the house in three days. I tried to do as much as I could between the start and the end of that time, but there's no denying that the oni did more than half of all the physical work. Such as the foundations, which Suika made dense so we could drive them into the ground without breaking. The planning was thanks to Keine and the carpenter, whom I asked to help make the construction plans, and the funding came from Eientei, which means I'm in debt again and need to run errands for them._

Not sweating. _I check my body. _Guess this is an effect of being a spirit. _"Okay, so... I think it's nearly time for me to go, so just to really finish things up... Suika!"_

_"Hiyo!" The grinning oni whips out four red drinking plates and sets them on the tatami. "Sake tastes nice when you're drinking with friends, or after a good workout. So this one should be totally great!" Suika informs us as she fills them from her gourd._

_"Indeed, the mood of satisfaction lends an exquisite flavor." Iku takes up hers._

_Komachi grabs hers, spilling a little. "I'm thirsty after all that work!"_

_"Slow down a little. We did this together, didn't we? Well, Suika did a lot more than us three combined." I give the hardest worker a wry smile as I lift mine. "So... Cheers!"_

_"Cheers!" All three of them echo, and we drink to the completion of Komachi's new house._

_It's my first time actually drinking something in my spirit form, but the sake tastes the same as always. As the others start talking about how to decorate the place, I let my eyes drift from person to person. Unlike me, the others, apart from Suika, are sweating quite a lot, so they've reduced their clothing to compensate. Iku's set aside her scarf and shawl, and left enough buttons undone to reveal cleavage, while Komachi's front is open so far that the skin exposed goes all the way down to her belt. Needless to say, I keep my eyes focused elsewhere._

_"Why're ya starin' at me, Ikuto? Do I have somethin' on my face~?" Suika slurs, having discarded her plate in favor of big gulps straight from the gourd._

_"Hm, no. It's just... good work, Suika." I reach out and pat her head out of habit. "Thanks for your help."_

_"Ehehe~ no problem!" _

_"I'll still see you at the shrine sometimes, right?"_

_Suika toasts me with her gourd. "Yep! I'll try to come here when you do, Ikuto!"_

_"Ikuto." Iku draws my attention._

_"Yes?" _She looks extremely serious.

_"The Eldest Daughter has been talking about you recently. I fear she will act soon." She tells me gravely, making the other two pause as well._

_"What's this about, Ikuto?" Suika asks._

_"We think that stupid Celestial's going to come after him." Komachi answers sourly, draining her plate. "Refill, please!"_

_"But really, four months... I didn't expect her to be this patient."_

_"You talk as though you know her." Suika remarks._

Whoops. _"I'm just saying based on the impression I got from other people. This Hinanawi Tenshi strikes me as an impatient, selfish and bored girl who wants to be the center of attention."_

_"That really describes her in a sentence." The little oni nods._

_"Anyway, I kept earthquakes in mind when I asked for a plan for this house, so..." I look around at the bare insides._

_"I'll make her regret it if she tears this house down." Komachi growls._

_"Hmm, Heaven, huh? Maybe I should go up again; haven't been there in a while." Suika refills my plate._

_"I am sure the Eldest Daughter would be sufficiently distracted by your presence."_

_"I'm-" I feel the tug. "Dang, have to go. But Iku, in case she actually does something, please remind her that I can't fly."_

_"And send her to me first so I can beat her up." Komachi adds with a grin._

_The oarfish youkai smiles. "Of course. I have not forgotten that."_

_I drain off the sake and put the plate down. "Thanks in advance."_

_"Bye bye~!" Suika grins, and takes another swig of sake._

* * *

><p>"Never expected to spend the night here." I remark to Eirin.<p>

"You're always welcome, Ikuto."

"I don't think Kaguya thinks so at the moment."

"Why, whatever do you mean by that?" The princess asks coldly.

Yesterday, I visited Eientei to discuss the money for Komachi's house, as well as increase the power of the gravity belt. I've gotten so used to the added weight I barely notice it anymore. It happened that Reisen was out, and Eirin needed a delivery, so one thing led to another, eventually culminating in me staying over, with Reisen helping me convey the news to Alice so she wouldn't worry.

As for why Kaguya is mad at me... I accepted her challenge of a rematch on the condition that the loser would have to obey the will of the winner. Then I proceeded to beat her ten times in a row. Given her blush, she was expecting _something_, but I shattered that hope by ordering her to stop playing so much. Besides, with the intense duel against Alice in the early afternoon, I doubt I had the stamina to do anything that night.

"How's the weight?" Eirin asks.

"One point six times my normal weight... it's a bit harder than I thought, but manageable."

"Yep, he cleared the course with no problems -usa!" Tewi chimes in.

I shake my head. "I did have a bit of trouble with balancing, remember."

"Just don't overdo it." Reisen warns me.

I meet her eyes. "Then I'll just get you to nurse me back to health again." I tease.

"Idiot." She scolds while blushing. "You know I'd do it without needing you to ask."

"Such as relieving excess _energy_ in the morning?" Eirin asks me with a too-innocent air.

"Maybe..." I don't deny it. _Hmm... damn, I can't think of a comeback... guess I'm finally out of ideas._ "But I thought that was the doctor's role?"

"I wouldn't mind either..." There's a pink tint on Eirin's cheeks.

"Now who's the one who needs energy relief?" _...The possibility of a correlation between that and my ability to make comebacks is kind of... disturbing._

"Say, Ikuto, want to do another chase?" Tewi challenges.

"No. I'll just keep my one win no loss record." I turn her down straight.

"Che." The youkai rabbit clicks her tongue. "That wasn't something you did on your own."

I exchange a high-five with Reisen, while Eirin and Kaguya chuckle.

"Anyway, I better get going." I get to my feet. "I'll come when I can to work off my debt."

"Ah, Ikuto, I'm going on deliveries soon, do you mind waiting?"

"Of course. I'll go get the stuff ready first then."

Reisen doesn't take long, and we soon leave Eientei, walking through the Bamboo Forest like we used to, talking about random stuff, with Reisen filling me in on how the villagers are.

"They keep telling me I should keep you close."

I snort and put an arm around her shoulders. "Did they say what sort of methods to use?"

"Not out loud." Reisen blushes. "But, you know."

"Yeah." I recall something. "By the way, what's your impression of Iku?"

"That oarfish? She's... an interesting character, I suppose. You're not..." She trails off expectantly.

"No." _I don't think so, at least. _"Then Alice?"

I feel her body stiffen through my arm. "She... no, I can't say it." Reisen mutters.

_I have a feeling~ that I know what it is~ _"What?" I ask innocently.

"It's nothing."

_Hm, we're nearly out of the forest... Haven't had the chance for this in a while. _"Reisen."

"Wha- Mmph!"

Her words cut off when I take the chance to seal her lips with mine. She flinches at the surprise of it at first, but returns the kiss soon enough. It only ends when we are both forced to come up for air.

"...actually... I was hoping you would do that." She confesses.

_Huh, I couldn't tell at all. _"Want some more?"

Reisen nods, and we spend a few more minutes doing so, and might have gone further if someone didn't clear her throat audibly behind Reisen. Instantly, we spring apart, and she even aims her finger gun at the one who interrupted us.

"Most of the couples who come here for that do so in the evening." Mokou says dryly.

"Oh, it's just you." Reisen lowers her hand. "Do you spy on those couples?"

"Not interested." The immortal walks closer. "Besides, why spy..." She grabs the front of my clothes. "When I can do the same?"

_When did Mokou get this forward? _I think dizzily as she kisses me too. _Or is she the competitive type?_

"You have a point there." I hear Reisen concede. "But... Ikuto!"

I pull away. "What?"

"Stop that."

"Oh." I hurriedly retrieve my hands. "Sorry."

"Hmph. I'm going ahead first. Goodbye." Reisen leaves in a huff.

_Guess I need to apologize to her later..._

"So?" Mokou releases her hold on me. "What have you been up to?"

_There's the small bit of her snappish attitude as always. It's nostalgic. _"Training, learning more stuff, getting to know others. The same as always. But for today," I grab her hand and pull her close, "I guess I'm going around seeing those I love." _If I'm talking like this, it probably means I looked too long at Reisen's eyes._

"Are you feeling okay?" She asks suspiciously, her small frame snuggling against me nonetheless.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I change the subject. "So, have you been eating and sleeping properly?"

"Of course I am!" Mokou protests indignantly. "I won't revert just because you aren't around."

"Mm... that's good then." I stroke her white hair. "So... want a reward?" _Effect's still ongoing..._

Her eyes meet mine with barely restrained eagerness. "...yes."

_Well, it's not so bad, I guess._

* * *

><p>It happens just as I pick up my teacup; everything in sight sways from side to side, gentle enough not to damage any buildings, but enough to knock some things over. Hot tea splashes onto my hand, making me let go in reflex, and the cup shatters on the ground. All around us, birds take flight, abandoning the shaking trees. Still, it doesn't last long, and everything returns to their initial stationary positions.<p>

"Is your hand okay?" Reimu asks as she returns with a broom, sweeping up the broken shards.

I wince when I try to use it, and rely on my left to pull out the key. "Yeah, it's fine." _Blaze Revive._

"So it really did happen. Good thing the oarfish told you about it -ze." Marisa remarks, munching on the snacks unconcernedly.

"Why didn't she tell _me_ about it?" Reimu complains.

"Maybe because you don't go above the clouds?"

"And you do?" She shoots back at me.

"I just met her somewhere else. How much damage did your house get?"

"I'll go check." The shrine maiden enters the house, and I hear her flitting from room to room as she confirms the extent of the tremor's effect. "There's a bit, but it's all the old stuff."

_So she cares about the new stuff she bought with the money made from the festival?_

"But why is there an earthquake? It's a bit sudden -ze."

"Iku said it was Tenshi."

"That Celestial?" Reimu dashes out, glaring at the sky. "Looks like she hasn't learned her lesson! Sorry, Ikuto, Marisa, I'll be going out for a while."

"Sure -ze!" The witch calls after Reimu as she flies off. "But... why is she doing that?" Marisa muses to herself.

"Why she caused an earthquake?"

Marisa nods. "Maybe she's bored."

_Hmm... this might be a chance. _"Want to bet on it?"

"Bet what? Oh, you mean bet on the reason? Sure -ze." Marisa thinks for a while. "What are the stakes?"

"Mm... Then..."

"Loser has to do one thing the winner says!" We both suggest at the same time. "Deal!" We shake on it.

"So, what's yours?" I ask.

"Hm... let me think... I think she's just bored." Marisa shrugs.

"Then I bet she's doing it because she's after me."

She grins. "Huh, interesting -ze. Your popularity extends to the heavens, huh?"

_Uh, that's way too much exaggeration._ "Whatever you say. I'll go make more tea." I pick up the toppled cups.

Marisa nods. "Get more snacks too."

When I come back with the things she asked for, Suika's there too. As expected, she declines the tea in favor of her alcohol, but eagerly snaps up the rice biscuits.

"So..." The oni speaks, munching on the biscuits in between. "You bet... *nom nom* on the reason... *nom nom* she caused an earthquake?"

"Yep." Marisa giggles next to me, no doubt at my dark horse bet. "Loser does one thing the winner says."

"Then I want in too!" Suika finishes her biscuit and holds a finger up in the air. "I bet that she wants to party!"

"Not everyone's like you, Suika. Here." I hold out another biscuit.

She chows down on it straight away. "*Nom nom* What would you do if you win?"

"I know what I'd make both of you do." Marisa nods sagely. "Ikuto, I'll make you clean up my house! Suika, you can help me collect interesting stuff!"

_Geh, after that tremor just now, I'm sure the clutter in her house must be a total mess now. _"I haven't decided yet."

"If I win, you two have to match me in drinking!"

Marisa and I stare at the little oni, who emphasizes the impossibility of her command by taking continuous gulps from her gourd, the number of them way beyond human ability to imitate.

"If she wins, we're dead."

"Or have a hangover from hell at the very least." _I've never had one before, and don't wish to either._

Our conversation is interrupted by something that crashes into the ground in front of us, bouncing a few times before coming to a stop.

"Ah, it's finally started." Marisa shakes her head.

"What-" The dust clears enough for me to see what it is. "Oh, I totally forgot. So everyone's getting newspapers now."

"Yep." Suika nods.

So it's finally time for the tengus' newspaper competition. Now that I look at Youkai Mountain, I can see tiny dots flitting out from it headed all over Gensokyo at breakneck speed. More and more newspapers join the first, their deliverers moving too fast for my eye to catch, until a veritable pile has built up on the shrine's ground.

"Don't tell me they used that earthquake as a signal." I walk over to the pile and pick up one, flipping through it quickly. "...what the..."

"What?"

I toss the newspaper aside and root through a few more, even as more and more newspapers come down. "I'm practically reading fiction here."

"Yeah, that's how they are." Marisa calls from behind me.

"Except mine." The pile explodes in a burst of wind; I barely manage to cover my face, though thick newspapers batter the rest of my body.

"Aya?" I ask, not daring to lower my arms even after the barrage ended.

"Yes! Here, have a copy of the Bunbunmaru!" Another newspaper taps against my hand, and I take it. "Here's some for you two too!" The sound of paper hitting wood comes from behind.

I lower my arms to look at Aya, who's wearing a scarf patterned with autumn leaves and carrying a thick bag filled with rolls of her newspaper. Despite the delivery getup, she's still carrying her camera, and grinning with barely repressed excitement.

"Nice to see you again." I say, meaning it. "You look really prepared to win."

"Yep, have to deliver and be on the lookout for scoops! I'll be going now!" With that, she blasts off.

"Good luck!" I call after her.

Her reply is so soft I barely hear it. "Thanks!"

"Now... what do we do about this?..." I look around at the newspapers scattered all over the place. "Reimu's going to have a fit when she sees this."

"Leave it to me~" Suika hops off the walkway and comes up to stand next to me. "I'll take care of it."

She holds out her hands, and immediately all the scattered paper starts flying into a pile in front of her. It takes less than a minute for all of them to gather up, and Suika flashes me a peace sign before drinking more sake.

Gossipmongers they may be, but the tengu are quite conscientious about orderliness, as they aim their newspapers at the new position of the pile. Or is it because Suika is here? After all, according to Akyuu's Gensokyo Chronicles, the oni were originally in charge of Youkai Mountain. So they would be naturally careful not to offend her in any way.

"Nice work. Come on, let's finish the snacks."

"Hmm, maybe I should get her to help me clean up too." Marisa muses as we approach her.

"Only one thing, remem-"

Another blast rocks the place. This time, my back is battered by newspapers, completing the full-body treatment.

"And I only just cleaned up!" Suika complains, turning at the same time I do.

"Who put all those newspapers in my landing spot?" Reimu asks, standing at ground zero.

I exchange a glance with Suika. "The tengus." We both say together.

"So it's that time already. We can clean it up later." The shrine maiden sounds disgusted, making it clear what she thinks of the tengus' newspapers. "No wonder I met that wolf instead of Aya."

"Reimu! How did it go?" Marisa yells out.

"How did what- oh, that." Reimu dusts herself off, lifting up one arm to show a ripped sleeve. "She wasn't up there. The oarfish told me she went to the Sanzu River."

"Here, I'll mend it for you." I hold out my hand, and she takes off that sleeve. "So, what happened next? Did you fight her?"

"Didn't. The slackmeister beat me to it. That was just from a stray shot when I just arrived."

_Good job, Komachi. _I think as I walk back to the walkway and take out the sewing kit I kept for such purposes. "So, what was Tenshi doing there?"

"Beats me. I have no idea. She took off after she lost. Didn't even notice me." Reimu shrugs. "Since things were already taken care of, I just came straight back."

The three of us look at each other, and shrug simultaneously. _Guess we'll find out later. _I think, threading the needle and start stitching up the tear. _Unless... given my weird luck..._

Contrary to my expectations, nothing happens, and I finish mending the sleeve easily while the girls pore over Aya's newspaper, which happens to contain interviews with the people of Eientei. It's mainly about the fascination of the village's children with the rabbit youkais, and I overhear Tewi's name being mentioned. Then the expected part comes, but Reisen and Eirin have managed to deflect those questions pretty well. I look up to see Suika grinning at me, and respond by shaking my head before tying off the thread.

"Here, Reimu." I hold out her repaired sleeve to her.

"Thank you, Iku-"

For the third time in that short span, something explodes in front of the shrine. Unlike the previous two, the cause for this one was not wind, but stone. A fairly large-sized one with one of those ceremonial ropes tied around it, to be exact. Through the faint curtain of dust it raises, I can see a figure hop off its top and walk towards us, the stone vanishing as she draws close.

"You better repair that later." Reimu warns, pulling her sleeve back on.

"Che. Fine. Where is he?"

Hinanawi Tenshi's sharp demand matches the image I built of her, spoilt and selfish. The dust settles to reveal a similarly condescendingly amused expression, further reinforcing that impression. Peaches in her hat, a white blouse and a blue-white dress with diamond patches the colors of the rainbow bordering the white section. She crosses her arms and looks straight at me with her red eyes, her blue hair fluttering around her.

"Who are you looking for?" Marisa asks, dusting off her hat.

"You." Tenshi points at me, and the other two girls suck their breath in sharply. "You're the outsider, aren't you?"

I nod. "Did you want something?"

"You really can't fly?"

"No."

"Really, really?" She presses.

I look at Reimu, who shrugs. "I told you so." She mutters.

Sighing, I turn back to Tenshi. "No."

"Can't you give a longer answer?" She sounds frustrated.

"Can't you stop asking simple questions?" I counter.

Tenshi glares at me. "Then why can't you fly? They do!"

"I'm an outsider, so I'm not like them. It's like expecting an ant to weigh as much as a house." I come up with and throw out that comparison in an instant.

"Actually, I can make that happen, but then the ant would get crushed."

_Been a while since I facepalmed._ I thought as I did so. "You know what I mean, Suika." I reply tiredly.

Tenshi draws closer. "You don't look so interesting."

"That's because you came at the wrong time. It's hard work doing that, you know."

Marisa snorts from the side.

"You mean you can make yourself look interesting?"

_She's more of an idiot than I thought._ "No."

"But you just said-"

"I didn't," I interrupt, "You just assumed."

"Ahhh! Irritating, you're irritating!" She stamps her foot.

_Very childish too. She did become a Celestial as a child, after all. _"So, care to introduce yourself?"

"Hinanawi Tenshi!" The girl snaps.

"I'm Ikuto." I introduce myself as well. "So, tea?"

Tenshi glares at me for a while, but finally sighs. "Fine. Pour me some."

"Why exactly were you looking for him?" Marisa asks as I go get an extra cup for Tenshi, who seats herself next to Suika.

"The articles in that tengu's paper stirred my curiosity, so I wanted to see what he was like for myself." She takes off her hat and fans herself lightly with it. "Disappointing."

"It's nearly winter, what do you expect?" I fill the cup and hand it to her. "So, Marisa, Suika, guess it's my win."

"You knew already, didn't you?" Marisa accuses.

I put on my most innocent expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Wait, she's right. Ikuto, you knew, didn't you!" Suika realizes it as well.

_Damn, she remembered. Especially since she was at the Sanzu River last night. _I pull Suika onto my lap and cover her mouth before she can say anything else. "A win's a win, no backing out. Ow!" I yelp when she bites my hand, like before.

"What's going on here?" Tenshi looks between the three of us, and so does Reimu.

Marisa explains the bet to them. "Though I wouldn't have accepted it if I'd known about this." She finishes.

"Me neither!" Suika interjects, still in my hold.

"Too late~" I tease, resting my chin on her head. "Besides, I didn't tell a lie, did I?"

"Fine, but you better remember this!" She twists her head sharply, hitting me with one of her horns.

"Of course I will. You have to do one thing I tell you to, right?" I include Marisa in that sentence.

She gives up. "Alright -ze. So, what do you want me to do?"

_Never really thought about it._ "What if I make you return the books you 'borrowed' from Patchy?"

"I'm not sure how many of them are there, or where they are in my house." Marisa doesn't seem to like that idea. "But if you want me to..."

"Nah, I'll just hold it for later. Same goes for you, Suika." Noticing Tenshi staring at me, I return the look. "What?"

"You're different all of a sudden."

"He's like that sometimes." Reimu sips her tea, apparently unconcerned.

"Well, considering I have a shorter lifespan than most people here," I shrug, "I should enjoy myself, right?"

"How?" Tenshi demands.

_Hmm... let's go with _that."You need to learn to appreciate the small pleasures in life."

"How?" She repeats, pressing further.

_Let's see... who should I go with for this?_ "I'll tell you later."

"No, tell me now!" She insists.

_Guess she must be really bored up there. _"Some things take time. But if you want..." I glance at the others. "Let's go apart for a while." I let Suika get off my lap.

Once we're out of earshot from the others, she confronts me again. "So, what exactly do you do?"

"Okay... let's take betting as an example. You know about it, right?"

Tenshi nods impatiently.

"Fine." I scrutinize her carefully. _It should probably work, given how childish she is._ "The stakes... If I lose, I'll treat you to food at the village, alright?"

"Agreed. So, what do you want to bet on?"

_She didn't even ask what happens if I won... not that I was intending to win. Anyway, need more preparations. _"One moment, I need a drink. Be right back."

"Hey!" She yells after me, but I ignore her and dash off towards Reimu and the rest.

"Done already?" Marisa asks wickedly.

"No, just want to ask, how far do you think I can go with her?"

"What, you mean you can charm her into liking you?" Reimu frowns.

"Hm, how about this, I bet you she'll let me touch her chest."

"When you just met her? There's no way that will happen." She responds with disbelief, though Suika and Marisa exchange glances behind her back.

"Then you'll accept? I'll donate one thousand yen if you win." I dangle Reimu's favorite bait in front of her.

"Deal." She accepts instantly.

"Same thing as them if I win." I nod, indicating Suika and Marisa. "Okay, I'll go ask her now."

"Done already? Couldn't you bear a bit of thirst?" Tenshi demands when I rejoin her. "So? What are we going to bet on?"

_Need to pretend a bit..._ "Hmm... let's see... How about this? I bet that your chest is flat." I point at the topic of the wager.

She quickly covers it with her arms. "Are you crazy! That's vulgar!"

"Oh? Are you scared?"

"Heh," She smirks, "Fine then! I'm going to win this!"

I raise one eyebrow. "You sure?"

This time, Tenshi looks a bit uncertain. "What do you mean?"

"Who knows...?" I jerk my head in the direction of the shrine. "But if you're so sure you'll win, how about we go back and get the others to confirm it as well?"

"F-fine. L-let's go then!" Her pace is tense, matching the uncertainty in her tone.

"So? What were you two up to?" Reimu asks, looking at me suspiciously.

"Just some bet, that's all!" Tenshi glances at me, tension in her eyes. "And I'm going to win it!"

"Hm, but you know, I have to confirm it for myself, don't I?" I counter.

"Co-confirm?"

"I only believe in what I can confirm myself. After all, just because there's a rumor that the vampire's maid wears pads, doesn't mean it's true."

"Wait, Ikuto. What bet do the two of you have?"

"He wagered that my chest is flat!" Tenshi answers for me, and Reimu's face goes pale as she realizes my plan.

"So? If you're so sure you'll win, then all you just have to do is to let me touch them and confirm it for myself."

Tenshi goes red, but lowers her trembling arms. "F-, f-f-fine! Go ahead and touch them!"

"Then, don't mind if I do." I murmur, and grab them through her clothes.

"Ahn! Hey! Don't be so rough!" She snaps. "And what are you two smiling about?" Her second comment is directed at Marisa and Suika.

"No...thing..." Marisa replies, her voice strangled.

"Ikuto, ya sly dog!"

"So? Haven't you had enough yet- Ahn!" She gasps again as I squeeze slightly, confirming that she really has breasts underneath her clothes. "Enough already!"

I pull back to dodge her swipe. "Okay, so you win."

"So? I don't see the point of this! Why did you make such a bet if you-" Her expression becomes one of horror. "You mean, your real intention was to..."

"Not really." I indicate Reimu with a jerk of my head. "I bet with her that you would let me touch you if I asked."

"Ikuto..." Reimu growls.

"What... but... then... you..." Tenshi's jaw falls open as she realizes how I had used her. "No way... this is..."

"Anyway, I owe her a meal at the village, so I'll be going first!" I say cheerfully, grabbing the shocked Tenshi by the shoulders and steering her towards the stairs. "See ya, Reimu!"

"IKUTO! YOU GET BACK HERE!" Reimu's furious scream echoes about the shrine, along with Marisa's and Suika's laughter.

* * *

><p>"So that's what it's like up there?" I ask, draining off the soup.<p>

Tenshi nods. "Day in, day out, just singing and dancing. It's boring, I tell you."

"Missy, not everyone has the chance to do something like that, you know." The ramen shop owner butts in.

"Ah, who-" She yelps when I poke her in the side. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Keep some things to yourself." I warn firmly.

"But-" She quails under my glare. "Okay..."

"Good." I turn to the owner. "Another bowl for each of us. Extra meat."

"Got it!" He serves them up quickly.

"Well, Heaven doesn't have good food like this." Tenshi admits grudgingly as she digs into the new bowl.

"Heh, thanks for the compliment, Missy!" The owner leans on his counter, looking at me. "So, another girl already?"

"Oh come on, I only just met her today. Besides, all I'm doing is showing her around the place," I complain, "I'm not _that_ much of a playboy."

"Hahaha, whatever you say!" He turns away to serve the other customers.

"Mmm! I'm full, thanks for the food!"

_That's fast!_ I start eating quickly to catch up to her.

Later, as we walk through the village, Tenshi keeps making comments about the place, usually negative. "This place is dirtier than I thought."

_Yeah, it did seem that way when I first came. But seriously... _"Don't expect everywhere to be like Heaven."

"I know that!"

"Your actions say otherwise."

"You-!" Tenshi catches herself when she realizes I'm right. "Whatever. So? What do you do for fun down here?" She changes the subject.

_Hmm... Let's see how that turns out._ "Follow me."

I lead her to the Misty Lake, talking about the comparisons between Heaven and Gensokyo as we go. She's self-centered enough to make my teeth grate, so I respond with merciless attacks on her attitude. It's kind of like arguing with a sibling, in a sense; the sort of fun you have from conflict.

"So? What are we doing here?"

_Now then you ask that? _"Actually, I usually fight this ice fairy."

"Fight? Now that's what I'm looking for!" Tenshi grins. "But if you're fighting a fairy, that means you must be really weak!"

"Whatever. Hey, Cirno!" I yell out to the ice fairy floating on the lake.

"What? Oh, it's you! Wanna fight again?"

I shake my head. "Not today. She's going to be your opponent today."

Cirno looks at Tenshi. "Huh, that doesn't matter! Since Aye am the strongest!"

"Oh? I'm going to make you eat those words!" Tenshi takes to the air on top of one of her keystones.

"Bring it on!"

I retreat to a safe distance to watch the ensuing battle. Even with all her training, I still expected Cirno to lose against Tenshi. Surprisingly, they're practically equal, especially since Cirno's ability to stay constantly airborne hampers the Celestial's earth manipulation moves. The clashing occurs in mixes of colors; swords of blue against yellow, bullets of red against white, blocks of blue against gray, and from this distance, I can see that Tenshi is getting frustrated by the unexpected difficulty.

"Try not to damage the surroundings too much!" I call out.

"I know!" She turns to yell.

"Aye'm your opponent, don't you look away from me!" Cirno makes use of that opening. "Ice Charge!"

"Ungh!" Tenshi crashes against a tree.

"You okay?" I shout, amusement in my voice.

"Stop distracting me!" Tenshi screams back, then cries out as a block of ice falls on her head. "Ow!"

"Haha! How do you like my Little Iceberg?"

"Why you! Don't you look down on a Celestial!" Tenshi gets to her feet, and jumps up high into the sky. "**Keystone -World Creation Press-**!" Her voice comes down from above.

"Wha-" is all Cirno manages to say before a gigantic keystone crashes down on top of her.

The Celestial girl hops down and walks over to me, the keystone vanishing like the others. "Huh, she wasn't so- what?" She notices that I'm pointing over her shoulder.

"**Ice Cube -Great Crusher-**!" The ice fairy returns the earlier favor with an equally gigantic block of ice.

_Fairies are pretty sturdy, and she couldn't see that Cirno managed to block it with an ice shield. _I grin as Cirno starts celebrating on top of the ice. _But Tenshi didn't manage to block._

"Hah! Take that! Don't mess with the strongest!"

"Nicely done, Cirno." I congratulate her. "We'll fight some other time, okay?"

"Heh, Aye'm the Ninth, after all! See ya!" She speeds away, leaving the ice block in front of me.

I bring out Eternal Inheritance, and use the dragon crystal's power to repel the ice off Tenshi. "You okay?" I ask the splayed out figure embedded in the ground.

"Was that... really a fairy?" Her muffled voice asks.

A quick flash of light illuminates the area, and I turn my head to see Aya grinning over her camera. She mouths the word 'scoop' at me, and flies off in the same direction as Cirno, no doubt to get an interview.

Pretending it didn't happen, I turn back to the Celestial. "Yeah. Can you get up by yourself?" _It's because you were being too overconfident._

"Who do you think I am? I'm a Celestial..." Tenshi tries to move, but fails. "I'm just lying here because I want to." Her words sound like an excuse no matter the tone.

"Okay, I'll just put the ice block back then."

She reacts by panicking. "Hey, wait!"

"What?"

There's a long moment of silence. In the end, I sigh and squat next to her.

"You know, have you ever asked someone for help before?"

"...don't need to."

"Doesn't mean you don't _have_ to." I remind her. "It's these kind of things that make life interesting."

Her head twitches. "Really?"

_God, no one bothered to teach this kid some manners? Well, I guess everyone in Gensokyo is of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality when confronted with someone with the remotest hint of power. _"Yes."

"...really, really?"

I sigh again. "Look, just say 'please help me'. It's not hard at all."

"I'm a Celestial..."

_Reminds me of that webcomic where Batman always says 'I'm Batman'. _(1) I notice her body shivering as the ice melt starts leaking into her pit. "Whatever. Here."

I grab the back of her clothes and pull her out, hiding my amusement at seeing her front covered in dirt and mud. Next, I use Blaze Revive to warm her up, like I did with Byakuren, baking the mud dry enough for her to brush it off.

"...thanks." The soft word sounds alien coming from her mouth, as though she's unused to saying it.

"You're welcome." I look up at the sky. "It's getting late, I have to go already."

"Where?" She demands.

"Home." _Well, home is the house of whoever I'm staying with. _"You should go back to yours too. Get yourself cleaned up." I start walking away.

"Wait!"

I stop and turn. "What?"

"You're weird." Tenshi tells me seriously.

I switch to Eternal Inheritance and slam it into the ground. "Thanks, I guess. Here's a bit of help on your way home."

The earth responds easily, and Tenshi is sent shooting skywards thanks to the tall pillar that bursts from the ground beneath her. Without bothering to see if she comes down or flies off, I head back to Alice's place.

* * *

><p>"Alice, I'm back." I call as I take off my shoes after coming in through the doll.<p>

There's no reply; the house is dark and quiet. Shrugging, I head on inside without bothering to get a light, relying instead on a radar-like web of magic threads and my night vision to navigate. Using the threads is tiring, but according to Alice, practice makes perfect, so I just do it. Now that I rarely have the time to train my sword skills, I need to improve in other areas.

Outside Alice's room, I pause. There's something strange inside, even though I don't feel her in there. Still, it's not like I can just enter her room, so-

"Just go in."

"WAAAAH!" I spin around and retreat away from the voice that spoke from behind me.

Except since I was facing Alice's door, I inevitably end up falling through when the door opens beneath my weight. And with the surprise, I didn't react fast enough, and hit the ground painfully.

"You really should have gotten a light." Yukari chides.

"What the hell, Yukari! Don't scare me like that!"

"But it's been so long, so I wanted to give you a surprise." She replies innocently.

I snort in spite of myself. "Yeah, right. So? What are you here for?"

"First, let's stop speaking in the dark."

A gap opens up on the ceiling, casting mild sunlight down to illuminate the both of us, revealing Yukari's upper body extended out from a gap, and Alice's modest bedroom. I sit up and focus on her as she draws closer.

"You went ahead and moved while I was asleep." Yukari yawns, and continues, "But it appears that you're doing quite fine on your own."

I had my suspicions back then. "You did something to those I stayed with, didn't you?"

"That's just your assumption."

_She's deflecting... chances are she probably did. _"If so, why?" I press.

"I'm just here to check up on you." Yukari acts like she hasn't heard me. "But seeing as you're fine, I guess I can sleep through winter without worries."

"Dammit, Yukari. What are you up to?"

"Now, now, it wouldn't be fun if I told you, would it?" She smiles, her golden eyes flashing. "Rather about me, this is about _you_."

"Me?"

She sighs, like some teacher trying to explain things to a slow student. "When winter comes, I'll be asleep, that means you can do whatever you want."

_What's the point of telling me that? _"What's the difference between that and what I've been doing until now?"

"That's for you to find out." Chuckling, she retreats back into her gap. "Oh, just a bit of advice. Take a look at what's on her table."

With the light gone, everything is cast back into darkness, so I use Blaze Revive to help me see what Yukari was referring to. _This is... a doll of me? And next to it... is one of Alice. They're placed very close to each other... _

I hear the sound of the front door opening. "Ikuto?" Alice calls.

_Better get out. _I extinguish the flames and leave the room, shutting the door as quietly as I can. "Over here."

"Why didn't you light the lamps?" With a flick of her hand, the place gets lighted up by her dolls.

"Just practicing using my threads to feel around. Welcome back." I look at the bags the dolls next to her are carrying. "You went to buy groceries?"

"Yes. Are you hungry?"

"Not that much, but let's have dinner anyway."

"Alright. I'll go prepare them."

As we pass by the door to her room, I glance at it once more. _I'll think about it some other time. _

* * *

><p>(1) The comic's name is Shortpacked!<p>

Now Komachi has a house where they can gather and have fun...

Ikuto really has a lot of work to do to keep his harem happy... and no, he didn't do it with Mokou. It's the middle of the day, it's just petting at the most.

So now, Ikuto is owed a favor each by Reimu, Marisa, and Suika. What he'll do with them is still up in the air though.

Hope I managed to convey Tenshi as a selfish, self-centered, childish girl with lots of pride. Who went through a lot of trouble this chapter. Certainly, a fairy can't beat a Celestial normally, but Tenshi was just too overconfident. That five-card moves of theirs are quite similar, so I always wanted to pit them against each other.

So Alice's feelings are clarified a bit... how long before she reveals them? Or will Ikuto make the move first? Or will neither of them do anything and just separate as friends? And what exactly is Yukari up to? Is she just screwing with Ikuto?


	22. Chapter 21: Tough Decisions

The morning comes with a surprise visit from the lady and servant of Hakugyokurou, and needless to say, I'm extremely happy to see both of them, putting aside everything else to welcome them. Yuyuko's just as flighty and carefree as I recall her to normally be, but since it's been so long since I last saw her, it's quite refreshing... like seeing a grandchild after a while... though that comparison seems REALLY wrong due to the difference in our ages.

As for Youmu, she's surprised to find me here, as I was still staying in the Bamboo Forest the last time we saw each other. Of course, she hides it at first, but Yuyuko's teasing exposes it, so I give them some time apart from each other by taking Youmu out into the corridor for some... Anyway, once she's sufficiently reassured, we rejoin Yuyuko and Alice, who's pointedly ignoring the ghost's ramblings. Still, the look Yuyuko gives me tells me she knows what took place in that short amount of time.

Eventually though, the time comes for them to leave.

"Bye, Youmu, Yuyuko. See you again soon." I kiss both of them chastely on the cheek, and see them off from Alice's house. _Been a while since I saw them... taking care of Yuyuko's a tough job for Youmu, after all; who knows how long it'll take before I see them if Yuyuko didn't come here._

"Are they gone?" I hear Alice ask from behind.

I turn to face her. "Yeah. Sorry for interrupting our training."

She shakes her head. "It's fine."

_Ever since I found out about that yesterday... her expression when she looks at me when she thinks I'm not paying attention is... I can only say that it's odd._ "In any case," I bat aside yet another incoming newspaper, "It seems risky to be outside."

She smiles. "Indeed. Shall we practice your puppet control skills?"

"Sure."

It's only been two days since Shanghai gave my sackdoll a slap, but by now, I've managed to accumulate enough control to sustain a melee defense for a full minute, five if I use both hands. The main reason for that is probably because of the near constant rain of newspapers as the tengus print extra after extra in an effort to win the competition keeping me indoors. It's practically a hail... I don't even dare to go to the village during the day.

"How long was that last one?" I ask after yet another round, working the cramps out of my fingers.

"About one and a half." Alice nods and watches as the rest of the sand flows out of the hourglass. "You improve fast."

"At the cost of other stuff." I reply with a tone of slight regret. "I can barely recall Eirin's notes on drugs now."

"That's because you don't even look at them." Her expression shifts to one of thoughtfulness for a few seconds. "Tell me, what are the basic components of puppetry?"

The answer pops into my head straight away, and I answer without having to think. "The doll, the puppeteer and the link between the two."

"There you have it. You just need to review them sometimes."

_Guess I'll just have to try making time for it. _"Oh yeah, have you read Aya's latest article?"

She shakes her head. "I haven't. Is there something interesting?"

Grinning, I go to the shelf and grab the newspaper Aya delivered minutes before Yuyuko and Youmu came calling. "Front page."

The article has the words 'Celestial Crushed!' displayed in huge font, with a large photo beneath. The photo might be in black and white, but it's unmistakably me and Tenshi. Alice actually chokes back laughter at seeing the Celestial embedded in the ground, and me standing over her. The tengu somehow managed to get a comical angle on the shot that I can't help feeling amused every time I see it.

"You beat her?" She points at me in the picture.

I shake my head, still grinning. "I'm the one who pulled her out. Read the article."

She scans through it quickly, and actually chuckles this time. "Is Aya really telling the truth?"

Nodding, I slap the table to emphasize how it was like. "I saw it myself. It was like 'Bang!', with how Cirno slammed the block of ice onto her."

"I wish I could have seen that." Alice comments wistfully. "Did you know, after she caused the earthquake that wrecked Reimu's shrine, we were invited to a feast up in Heaven?"

_Oh yeah, it's like the one in the game, wasn't it? Sometimes, I wonder how many other worlds I read about in fiction are actually real... but whatever, I'm here. _"I think I heard about it from someone, but I'm not sure who. So, what happened?"

She proceeds to give me a first person perspective of how it was like to attend a 'beat up the Celestial' party organized by Suika, only to be end up losing. Still, everyone got along with each other in the end, drinking and partying... just the sort of thing that Suika was after.

"But..." Alice frowns. "Why didn't she interview you? You were right there."

"Ah, there's a reason for that." I fill her in on the deal I made with Aya.

Her eyes widen. "So that's why there were so few articles that had an interview with you."

I grimace. "Yeah, but she found a loophole in our deal. Has she tried interviewing you about me yet?"

"No, she hasn't."

I roll the stiffness out of my shoulders. "I'm sure she'll come by sometime eventually."

Alice sighs. "Such a troublesome tengu. That curiosity of hers has messed up a few of my spells before."

_I recall this one too... it involved... cursed dolls and hammers, I think? Then... oh, now I recall. It was a bit of magic that needed to be done secretly to work, but since Aya was stalking her, it failed. _"Well, that's past already. So," I flick my fingers, "Shall we continue?"

The connections form a mite faster than before without needing me to touch the sackdoll, and it springs up onto its feet, ready to go another round. Smiling, Alice takes control of Shanghai, and begins the first attack, flipping over the hourglass with her other hand.

"You know," I speak absently, my mind focused on parrying Shanghai's attacks, "That was the first time we actually talked like that."

Shanghai twitches, and my sackdoll's intended parry becomes a body blow. "Now that you mention it... you're right." Alice's voice is unsteady.

_Did that affect her so much? Should I... let's try it then. _"Almost like the way I always talk to those at Eientei or Mokou."

Once again, her doll pauses for a moment, giving the sackdoll the chance to increase the distance between them. "I... see."

Eventually, Shanghai manages to land a heavy hit that breaks the connection, after three minutes of silent battle. It's clear enough to me that my words somehow affected Alice enough to distract her from fighting the way she usually does. _Is she jealous? I don't think so, she would act more... come to think of it, I don't really know her well enough to judge how she might act if she was. _I think as I trade away the sackdoll for the tome on magic that I had been reading halfway. _But she doesn't seem the possessive type like how Reisen acts sometimes. So what exactly..._

"Ikuto. Ikuto!"

I blink and look up. "Huh?"

"Is that book really so interesting?" She asks, smiling slightly.

"Uh, no, I was just trying to figure out this part." I make an excuse.

Alice walks around the table to peer over my shoulder. "Where?"

She leans in, practically resting her head on my shoulder while her hand brushes my arm, and I can feel her other arm lightly pressing against my back when she uses it to support herself on the back of the chair I'm sitting in. And at this range, I can smell her scent, one that reminds me of dry sheets with the slight tinge of the musty storeroom smell that I find strangely attractive.

"U-Uh, this one." I point randomly, wondering why she's suddenly acting differently.

"Oh, it means..." She goes on to elaborate it for me, though I barely hear it. "Understand?"

"Ye-, yeah, I guess."

Alice spends a moment longer than she should in that position, before separating from me and going back to her own book. _Her tight expression... she's trying to read my reaction? Well... _I drop my eyes back down to the book, _I can hide my own blushing, but I can't help smiling a little. _I turn to the next page and stare at it without really paying attention. _But that action... is she trying to be more forward? It doesn't really fit her character..._

With those troubling thoughts flying around in my head, I continue trying to read. But Alice keeps finding, or making, more and more reasons to get close to me, until it actually starts having the opposite effect.

I decide to escape after lunch, the newspaper hail be damned. "Alice, I need to go out for a while." I tell her after the plates have been washed.

Panic flickers across her expression for a moment. "Ah, then I'll-"

"No need." I tell her firmly. "I'll be fine alone."

"But-" She grabs my wrist.

_Hope this move works. _"Alice, are you alright? You've been acting strange."

She releases her hold on me like my skin burned her. "Ah, no, I didn't mean to..."

_It did. _"I think you better lie down or take a nap."

"I...I believe I shall." Alice doesn't meet my eyes as she gets up and heads for the door on unsteady feet.

"Maybe we should stop practicing together for a while." I suggest without thinking.

"NO!" Alice suddenly whirls on me and grabs hold of my clothes, her eyes wild.

_Holy shit. Is this the effect of Burst Needle's injection? _"Alice?" I ask as steadily as I can.

As though my calling her name broke the spell over her, she hurriedly lets go and backs away. "I, I... I think I'll go lie down for a while!" She blurts out and rushes out of the dining room.

_Was that a setup for a kuudere _(1)_ or... a yandere _(2)_? _I shiver at the thought of the second possibility. _I need to see Eirin. Now._

* * *

><p>"Eirin!" I slide the door open with a bang. "I need your help!"<p>

"What's the matter, Ikuto?" Eirin shakes her head. "More importantly, I'm busy with a patient right now, so wait outside for a bit."

I blink at the young female youkai with her in the room. "Oops, sorry."

Eirin calls for me to go in after a few minutes, and I enter after the youkai leaves, though she gives me a scandalized look as we pass each other.

"What's happened, Ikuto?"

"I need you to take a look at that drug in Burst Needle again."

Something in my tone tips her off. "Tell me more."

I fill her in on the sudden change in Alice's character. "It's just too unnatural."

Thankfully, she doesn't make any jokes about me being popular. "I can see why you would think that."

"Right?"

"For now, let's take a look at the chemical." Eirin rises from her chair and leads the way to the same storeroom.

This time, she brings out a different scanner, one with a needle for extracting the material to be examined. I was unprepared for the weird sensation that strikes my body when she jabs it into the part of the handle where the drug is stored. I would describe it like like... getting stabbed, except there's no pain, just some funny feeling of something being taken out from inside me.

Eirin notices my reaction and withdraws the needle. "What's wrong?"

"Just a slight confirmation about my Keyblade's origin." I put on a strong expression. "Don't bother about me, just do it."

"Okay." She lifts the needle up high, "I'll do it... _quick!_" and swings it down hard.

I tense up, but there's no penetration. Instead, Eirin's looking at me with an amused expression, the point of the needle just short of touching Burst Needle's handle.

"Actually, I already got it the first time." She informs me as she sets aside the needle and turns to the console it's attached to.

_Damn it. She did that on purpose._ I flex my body about to get rid of that odd feeling the needle caused.

"This might be worse for you than I thought..."

"What's the bad news?" I know there's no point trying to read Lunarian script, so I just focus on Eirin herself.

Her expression is somewhat grim. "There isn't anything that might have caused her sudden personality change."

"That means..." _She's acting that way on purpose?_ "What _exactly_ does it do anyway?"

"It just attunes the recipient to the pheromones of the first person she comes in contact with." Eirin shakes her head. "However, no matter how closely you clutched Alice to you when you brought her here that time, it isn't enough to get her to fall madly in love with you. At the very best, it gives her a crush on you."

_Then, something set her off... _"Still, it sounds like some... some kind of screwed-up plot that comes up in a mind control story for the purposes of sex."

Eirin raises one eyebrow. "Sounds like you read a lot of those."

I turn my head and knock it hard a few times against the nearby shelf. "Never mind that. So? What can we do about her?"

Eirin's expression is troubled as she packs up the scanner. "I'm not fond of prescribing medicines for special cases without seeing them for myself, so I think it's best if you try talking to her first."

"Guess I have to, since I caused it and all." I mutter regretfully. "But how do I-"

"There's a high chance that she'll do anything you ask." Eirin interrupts me. "You know, you're kind of cute when you're panicking like this."

"Do I afford your sadistic pleasure?" I ask sourly.

"Of course." She flashes me a wicked smile as she opens the door for us to leave. "But I'm sure you'll pull through this fine, like you did with Mokou."

"Glad to know someone believes in me when I don't." Shaking my head, I depart from Eientei.

Once I'm alone among the bamboo, I take a moment to lean against one and think about my situation. _There's no denying that I caused this to happen. How could I have missed this? _I shake that thought out of my head. _No point regretting it now. Think! This isn't like that time with Mokou, I need to figure out some way to fix this!_

_First, let's go through the possible causes. According to Eirin, Alice is acting marginally sane... so why is she acting totally out of character? Unless... _I think back on this morning, was there anything that could have set her off? _That comment? The last one about talking with Mokou? But that's... I can't recall anything else that could have set her off, and the time that occurred was just too coincidental..._

Alice is normally the quiet, reserved type, unused to expressing her emotions clearly, kind of similar to how Mokou used to react with hostility. Considering that and the triggering comment, does that mean she was trying to force herself to be more forward and going overboard doing so? It's seriously illogical... but I doubt logic applies to females, and...

_An important rule of Gensokyo is that common sense does not apply!_ Another thought strikes me. _Is the reason for that because of the high female to male ratio for those who have power? Interesting theory that would make... _I shake that thought out of my mind. _No, no, no... that's not the thing I'm supposed to think about. This isn't the time or place to be going off track!_

As far as I can tell, it's either reject, accept, or run, those three choices. Two, actually, since I already made my mind up to fix this somehow. But the question here is how I feel about Alice; to be totally honest, I don't feel the same way towards her like I do towards Youmu or Mokou. At the very most, she's someone I'd consider a friend, that's it. Yet...

_Let's just go back and observe her for a while more..._ With that thought, I start walking back towards the village, imagining the possibilities and how I might react to them if they ever occurred.

While pondering yet another scenario as I'm passing through the village, Kazuko suddenly comes out of Keine's school when I'm walking by.

"Ikuto-nii! There's trouble! Keine-sensei fainted!" The little girl grabs my wrist and pulls on it.

"Where is she?" I let her lead me inside.

I find her unconscious on the floor in front of the class, surrounded by her students. Most of them look at me strangely when Kazuko brings me in, but I ignore their looks and kneel next to Keine. Her breathing is slightly ragged, and she's looking quite pale, plus she's running a slight fever.

"What has Keine been doing for the past few days?" I ask, checking her pulse. _It's okay, so that means..._

"She's been teaching us as usual." One of the boys answer, and some of the other students murmur their agreement.

"Okay, for now, class is cancelled, so you all just go home." I pick up her body gently.

"Do we come here tomorrow?" Another girl asks.

"I think so. Your Keine-sensei is probably overworking herself. She should be okay after a good night's rest."

A few of them let out exclamations of surprise, making me blink; is it really that surprising? Whatever the case, I carry Keine back to her room and put her on a futon that some of them help me to lay out, before shooing her students out of the school with a warning to be careful of newspapers.

While waiting for Keine to wake up, I start looking around her room. _Clean as to be expected, but her desk is messy..._ I pick through what's on top of it carefully, _I see... she's been busy dealing with other stuff on top of preparing classes for the kids. So that's how she drove herself to exhaustion then._

Seeing as she was going to be out for a while, I grab a broom and dustpan and set about cleaning the place, particularly the classroom. The size of the place is really a lot for just one person to handle on top of all the things that Keine does. Even so, it's evident that she does a thorough job of maintaining the place.

_Surely she has to have some help here? Mokou, maybe?_ _Nah... She's been doing it long enough before I helped Mokou fix her habits._ Once the cleaning is done, I go to the kitchen and start cooking some porridge for her when she wakes up, as well as something more filling for myself since I didn't feel like confronting Alice just yet. Part of me feels bad about not going back early when I promised to do so, but given Keine's situation... I think she'll let it pass, maybe.

Once the food is ready, I cover the dishes and leave them aside for later. But when I check her temperature again, I realize her fever had gone up. Cursing my forgetfulness, I quickly fill a metal basin I find in the kitchen with water, using the contents to soak a small cloth and wringing it out before placing it on her forehead. She mutters a little when I apply it, but doesn't wake.

By the time Keine does wake up, it's already late evening. "Hhh...hu...h? What am I..."

Hearing her voice clears the drowsiness from my head, and I rush over to her side. "Keine? How are you feeling?" _Must have dropped off while thinking about what to do about Alice._

"Ikuto...? Why are you...?" Suddenly her face colors a deep red. "I-I-Ikuto! What are you doing in my room?" She tries to sit up, but clearly hasn't recovered enough strength to do so.

I push her back down gently. "You fainted in class, and one of your students found me just as I was passing by."

"...I see..." She closes her eyes, clearly thinking. "What time is it?"

"The sun's setting already." I indicate the orange sky visible through the window. "How do you feel? Want any food?"

Keine smiles weakly, her eyes still closed. "...some food would be nice."

_Oh right, her eyes are closed. _"Thought so. I made some porridge for-" My stomach growls to interrupt.

She chuckles. "I suppose that means we'll be sharing then."

"Actually, I made some for myself too, so don't worry. Be right back."

It takes only a while to heat the food and load it on a tray to bring it back to her room. Using my foot, I start to push the door open, only to hear Keine squeak in alarm.

"Don't come in!"

But it's too late; since I was using a lot of strength just to push it open, I can't stop the motion, and it rolls open to reveal Keine sitting up and topless, in the middle of wiping herself down. She doesn't scream, but quickly covers her front with her arms just before I shut my eyes.

"Sorry!" I lift up the tray. "Brought the food."

"J-J-Just put it down somewhere."

I extend the magic threads out about half a meter and make my way in with my eyes still closed, finally setting it down near the edge of her futon. "I'll just go out until you're dressed." I say, getting up again and heading for the door.

"Wait!" She stops me just as I put my hand on the handle. "...could you... help me?"

_Woah. I don't believe this. I _really_ don't believe this._

"Ikuto?" Keine calls me again, her voice tense.

"Huh, oh yeah. Uh, what do you need me to do?" With my eyes still shut, I slide the door close and face the direction of her voice.

"I-I'm wiping the sweat off, but I can't reach my b-back very well."

"O-Okay." My own voice stutters, and I walk around the futon to go behind her, avoiding the tray. "So..."

"Y-you can... o-open your eyes if you're behind me." She tells me timidly.

I do so to confirm what my magical threads already 'saw'; Keine's silver hair divided down the middle, pulled over her shoulders to expose her pale skin from the back of her neck all the way down, while the displaced hair goes down her front to cover her... _down, boy. _She's also looking over her shoulder at me, the nervousness in her smoky eyes matched by the trembling of the hand that's holding the cloth out to me. _I doubt she'd do this if she wasn't sick. Best get it over with quick._

"Tell me if it's uncomfortable for you." I say, and touch the wet cloth to her upper back hesitantly.

"Ah..." Keine bites on her finger to stifle her voice.

I pull back instantly. "Sorry, was that-"

"No..." She shakes her head. "Please go on."

Her skin feels feverishly warm even though my fingers are barely brushing against it, and I'm trying my best to wipe her down as gently as I can. The silence in the room is only broken by the splashing of the water in the basin and the blood thumping inside my ears. After rinsing the cloth two more times, the task is finally complete.

"Keine, I'm done." Instead of tossing the cloth into the basin like I normally would, I put it in carefully. _Why am I so nervous around her?_

"T-Thank you..." She glances at me. "Could you... pass me some clothes from that closet?"

"Sure." I do as she asks, closing my eyes once more. "I'll go get more water. Go ahead and eat first."

Once I'm out of her room, I lean against the wall opposite, breathing hard. _What the heck is wrong with me? I shouldn't be acting like this! Our relationship's not like the one I have with Youmu or Mokou, so why... _The conclusion makes my eyes widen. _No, no, no... that's just too hard to believe... this is too much for me right now... _Sighing, I thrust the matter out of my mind for the moment and get more water.

When I return this time, I knock first, and enter only when Keine grants permission. "Keine? Why didn't you eat first?" I ask as I sit down next to her.

"Even if I'm the host or the one being taken care of, it's still bad manners to eat before others do." Keine's speech is back to normal now, though the blush is still there.

"Fine then, let's eat together now that I'm back." I pick up my chopsticks.

A few minutes into our meal, Keine suddenly brings up an uncomfortable topic. "Why are you here instead of with Alice?"

_My luck seems to be at an all-time low today. _"I just needed some time away." Even to me, that sounded like an excuse.

Of course, she notices it. "Ikuto... what happened?" Keine asks gently.

_Ah, what the hell. Keine's probably the best person to talk to about such things. _Sighing, I tell her about it all; Burst Needle's special drug, Alice's sudden personality change, what Eirin told me, my own confusion about what to do, all of it. Surprisingly, by summarizing it all for Keine to hear, it helps me affirm my own feelings and come to a decision.

"Ikuto..." Keine whispers in shock when I've finished talking, her porridge cold and forgotten.

"Yeah, I know... I screwed up, and now I have to fix it." I manifest Blaze Revive and light the candles in the room to push back the dark of the night.

"What... what do you intend to do?"

"I'll turn her down." I say it out straight, further cementing my resolve. "The whole thing was my fault, and I don't really feel that way towards Alice. Even if I did, I don't deserve to-"

"Ikuto," Keine rests her hand on mine, making me look up at her, "She might not think so."

"Then do you expect me-" I start to snap back, but quickly catch myself. "No, I'm sorry. You're right. But it doesn't change the way I feel."

Sensing my mind is made up, she withdraws her hand. "Then I have nothing more to say."

After a few more moments of unmoving silence, I speak up again. "Sorry for telling you all this when you're having a fever."

"It's okay." Keine starts eating again. "After all, you're..." Her voice catches, and she falls silent instead of finishing her sentence.

_I'm what?_ _What am I to yo-... her? _I resume eating as well, finishing my meal very quickly. "Keine?"

"Yes?"

_Come on, just be thick-skinned and ask. _I breathe in deeply to gather the courage required. "After I move out of Alice's place, can I stay with you?"

The spoon in her hand drops, clattering loudly against her bowl. "You... want to stay with me?" She asks me faintly.

I nod. "Of course, if it's a problem, then I..."

"No... no, it's fine. I don't mind." Still, her fingers are shaking when they pick up her spoon again.

After she has finished eating, I give her medicine from Eirin's consignment box with some water, and take the dishes away to wash them. Previously, when I was about to move from one place to another, I'd be looking forward to the new experiences. But this time, all I can think about is what I might leave behind, and what's involved isn't the kind of thing I'd like to think about.

_I don't get to see Komachi until tomorrow night... could use one of her encouragements. _Drying my hands, I head back to Keine's room.

"Ikuto...?" She murmurs drowsily from her futon when I enter after knocking gets no response.

"Oh, sorry for interrupting your sleep. I'll just blow out the candles, then I'll-"

"You can stay..." Moments later, her breathing evens out, letting me know that sleep has claimed her.

Once the candles have been extinguished, I sit next to Keine and watch her face for a while. _If I talked to Komachi, she'll just tell me to enjoy my life like before, and I'll just look towards the future like I used to. _

"Ikuto..." Keine murmurs my name in her sleep.

_Yeah, I'll do things like I always have. But this time, I'll make sure to clear away any regrets I have as well._ Bringing out Eternal Inheritance, I cloak myself in the robe and settle down to sleep. _It's actually quite warm like this. Thanks... Kaguya..._

* * *

><p>(1) Kuu means being cold, and dere... it's the same dere from tsundere<p>

(2) Yandere describes a girl who is really in love... to the point of unhealthy obsession. She is likely to do insane things, even going so far as to kill the guy to 'keep him for herself'.

Been REALLY distracted by other stuff... so no surprise that my updates are a lot slower compared to when I was starting out. Think I'll take a full week off writing sometime soon to sort those stuff out first.

Didn't feel like making my readers guess the outcome this time round, hence Ikuto's decision.

Started out with a bit of humor, but went towards seriousness towards the end. That's just how my random writing style leads me, and I simply follow. It's hard to write for Alice... clearly because I don't really feel her character like I did with the others. And Keine is on the opposite end. XD

All that's left is to tie up the rejection scene...


	23. Chapter 22: Unplanned Attacks

**Well, it appears that a lot of people weren't expecting me to have Ikuto reject Alice... for now, just read on and find out.**

* * *

><p>"Do you want some breakfast?" Keine asks me as I'm drying my face.<p>

"Don't really have an appetite." _Since I'm going to do something harsh later today._

"But you really should eat something."

I hang up the towel. "I just don't-"

"Ikuto. Go eat."

Smirking crookedly, I head for the dining room. "Yes, Mother."

"I'm not _that_ old!" She protests, following behind me.

The moment of levity is brief, so we have our meal in solemn silence. But even so, there's only so much silence I can take before I feel the urge to break it, which I finally do when we're washing up.

"Are you feeling better now?" I ask, then wince. _Well, she obviously is, since she could make breakfast without any problems._

"Yes, thanks for asking."

"But you've still just recovered. Maybe you should rest some more."

"I'm not going to faint again so easily." Keine giggles softly. "Who's the parent now?"

_Touché. _"But you're not an immortal like Mokou is." I counter, wiping another plate dry.

"I'll be fine." She reassures me, then changes the topic. "Are you sure you don't want me to go along?"

_That would be the worst thing to do if Alice turns out to be a yandere. _"I appreciate the offer, but it's best that I do this alone. Besides," I nudge her with my elbow, "You have students to teach, right?"

"Perhaps I should take one day off to rest like you said." Keine suggests a bit _too_ innocently. "Just to take a walk for my health..."

_And if things come to a danmaku battle, you weren't be getting any rest at all._ "But your students will show up expecting you here, healthy and ready to teach!" I mock-protest. _Huh, so Keine can act a little scheming. Interesting to know._

"But-"

_Okay, maybe I need to be direct here. _"Keine," I interrupt her by nudging her with my elbow again, "Really. Let me handle this alone." I omit all the humor in my tone, leaving only seriousness.

"Alright." She finally gives in.

"Thanks for your concern." I murmur softly as I finish up the last of it and turn away. "I'll be going now."

"Good luck." I hear her whisper back from behind.

* * *

><p>After navigating a long way around some dangerous patches of fungi in the eerily silent and dark Forest, I finally emerge into the clearing where Alice's house is located. The sun has already cleared the horizon, but with the height of the trees around it, the house only gets proper illumination when it's nearly noon. At this time of the morning, only the roof has sunlight falling on it, even though the large majority of the trees have shed most of their leaves.<p>

_Okay, just take a few deep breaths and go for it. _I march out of the cover of the trees and right up to the front door. _Just go in there, get her to be honest about her own feelings, and explain..._ nicely_, that I'm not inclined to be in a relationship with her._

Opening the door a crack, I call out cautiously. "Alice?"

Hearing no reply, I open it further and enter, closing it silently behind me. The sun's light has yet to extend its territory to this level of the house, and most of the place is cast in ominous shadow.

_What the hell is this... I've been staying here for three weeks already but just because I'm about to be a deliverer of bad news-_ I tense up at the sound of a creak somewhere in the house. _Okay, what was that? That came from... the kitchen?_

Just in case, I take out my key and ready Wavebreaker, creeping down the dark hallway in the direction the sound came from. Leaning against the wall next to the doorway, I peek in from the side first.

_Nothing out of the ordinary..._ Next, I use the magic threads to trace the blind angle. _Still nothing... Cloaking, on!_

Crouching low, I slip into the kitchen, Wavebreaker raised and ready to fire. But there's no one around. Maintaining the cloak, I pad over to the sink and check the drying rack. It's empty; if Alice had her breakfast, there should have been the washed plates here. No, not just breakfast; _the plates from last night's dinner should also have been here!_

Something flickers in the corner of my right eye, and I spin around, leveling Wavebreaker up at... nothing but the whitewashed wall. _Geez... what the heck is going on here? Another flicker of movement!_ My head snaps to the side, but then I realize it's just a youkai moving among the trees outside the window, vanishing into the shadows beneath them. _Man... I'm just too jumpy today._

Still, I can't help feeling as though something is wrong here, so I continue moving as quietly as possible, checking my surroundings often. The pantry is pitch dark, so I'm forced to expend some of my limited power to create a faint glow at the end of my finger. It only serves to confirm that there's no one in there... but something about the interior seems off to me, though I can't put my finger on what it is. In the end, I decide to just move on and conserve my energy for the magic threads.

From the kitchen, I make my way into the living room where I shared meals with Alice many times before, my gaze flickering around the place to check every dark nook for any possible threat or clue. Then the sole of my feet contacts something cold and wet.

_What the...? _I crouch down carefully, still maintaining my state of alertness. _Better put out the threads just in case. Can't bring out Blaze Revive here. It's too risky; I'll not only give away my location, but leave myself blind in this darkness. _Now that I'm closer, I realize the sensation I felt comes from a few drops of liquid. Using the index finger on my left, I collect some of it and bring it to my nose to smell. Its faint metallic tang sends chills down my spine. _Blood. And it's nearly clotted. _

I hadn't studied about the clotting time of blood, but surely this spill had to be somewhat recent. Something was definitely wrong here, but nothing was coming up on my thread radar yet. If I was ever going to find out what happened here, I have no choice but to look around some more. Standing up, I freeze, focusing on the shadow in the corner of the room, and blink to confirm what I'm seeing, but what I saw is gone. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a red eye watching me balefully for a moment.

_Can't be Yukari. She said she was going to sleep through winter. _I send out the threads to that corner, but find nothing. As though to taunt me, I hear another sound somewhere else in the house. _A thump this time... is someone... or some_thing_ in here with me? Where's Alice? Is she in her room or-_ Something else grabs my attention as I advance slowly. _It's... GONE._

The sackdoll I made should have been on the shelf where I left it yesterday, but the spot is empty now. Instead, there's a set of three claw marks in the wood behind it, shallow to my touch. As though something took the doll, carelessly gouging the wood as it did. I spend a few seconds staring at the marks, briefly recalling the pain of fighting unarmed against a youkai with claws. Then I hear something else, something that increases my heart rate even more, because it didn't come from inside the house.

_It's getting darker. _I cross over to the living room window and look outside. _Storm clouds... rain this late in autumn? This is just way too clichéd. But... _I look around at the increasing density of the shadows in the room, unsure if my overactive imagination is putting that mirage of a red eye in each pocket, or if it is really there. _For a cliché, this is just too realistically real. Let's get out of this place and come back with someone else._

I walk out of the faint light and back into the darkness of the hallway, now even darker. Reacting to this, I force the threads to their maximum range, and make my way to the door. The handle turns easily, but it doesn't budge like it normally does. I push harder, but it doesn't even shift a milimeter. Something's holding it shut... my eyes widen when my threads detects nothing on the other side, and the usual magic detection finds no binding spells at work. Like it or not, I'm trapped in Alice's house with something that may have attacked her.

_I thought Gensokyo wasn't this kind of place... guess I was wrong. _I glance at the door once more. _I could break through this... _my eyes narrow dangerously, and I growl so softly I wouldn't have known I did if I hadn't felt my vocal cords shift. _But I won't. No fear. Rather... rage. Something here wants me? Fine, I'll make sure it chokes to death on me!_

First up, my room... the one filled with shelves of dolls... STARING dolls. Not exactly the most comfortable place to visit in this creepy setting, but I'm not going to leave any stone unturned to uncover what happened while I was gone. I walk silently down the hall until I'm outside the door, ignoring the faint whispering in my ears as I send the threads under it to check the inside first. Detecting nothing on the floor, I turn the handle slowly and edge it open, fighting down the tension as I spot the first of the dolls through the opening. My heart goes even faster as the gap widens further, revealing that every single doll in the room had been turned to face the door, and me in the doorway.

_Oh. Ha ha, funny joke. I used to do that with my Gundam models back then, though I obviously didn't have this many... and doll eyes are much more unnerving than Gundam ones. _Exhaling in slight relief, I enter and close the door carefully behind me. _Time to look for clues. _With a flick of my fingers, I send out threads to cover the entire room, my emotions bolstering my control over each individual strand. _There, the drawer!_

I cross the room to where I keep my extra clothes and spare cash and pull it open carefully, expecting... I exhale slowly on seeing my doll. Or the remains of it; the head had been torn off, the stuffing spilling out from both body and head, and rips in its body. Normally I would have just taken things as they are, but something compels me to expend more power to examine it further under better lighting conditions.

_The torn off part of the neck is different from the tears on the body... but how? _I scrutinize it carefully. _Torn... and cut! The head was torn off, but the damage to the body was done by something sharp... likely the claws that took it from where it was in the first place. _I turn the body over to reveal dried brown stains... _probably blood as well._ But something niggles at me, and I hit on it soon enough. _The cuts... if they were from claws, they wouldn't be this unaligned. Now that I look at it, they're more like sword cuts... Alice's dolls?_

Soft thuds approach in the distance, jarring me out of my thoughts. Instantly, I turn and aim Wavebreaker at the door, breathing shallowly as I concentrate my focus on the middle, ready to fire at whatever comes through. Even then, I'm aware of the sweat on my body despite the cold temperature in the room, as the footstep-like sounds come to a stop outside the door.

_Steady... steady... _I chant in my mind, dividing my concentration between sustaining the cloak and building a target, as the handle turns slowly... and the door opens... _...what?_

It doesn't open all the way. Instead, the door stops before it has even moved an inch. Minutes pass... and whoever it is on the other side of the doll releases the handle excruciatingly slowly, and the stepping sounds start up again, moving off into the distance.

_Logically, the smart thing to do would be to... Damn, I never played Resident Evil or any such horror games... but I suppose I should move before it comes back. _Keeping my weapon trained on the door, I move over to it quickly and open it, springing back in case something else lay in wait. But since there wasn't, I go through and pul the door back to the original position it had been left in. I can still hear the thing... it's in the kitchen now. _Hmm, let's stay out of its way for now._

I move on to the next room, which is the library. I can hear some faint whispering from the inside, though I can't make out what is being said. Normally I would knock, but the entire situation compels me to try the handle instead. It's locked, and immediately I become aware of two changes. Both involve sudden silence, one in the room, and the other in the kitchen. Then the padding sounds start; whatever was in the kitchen, it's coming here.

_Have to hide! But... _The placement of Alice's library in her house is such that there is only one route to it, and I'm blocked off. _Fight? But this area is too cramped, I can extend my arms and touch both walls already... That's it!_

In this pitch darkness, I can't see what it is that passes below me, though I can sense and smell it well enough. Playing it safe, I retract my thread radar in case it can sense my magic threads. Besides, it's not easy holding myself up near the ceiling using the walls.

With my eyes useless in the dark, my sense of hearing has been enhanced enough to let me figure out its physical characteristics by the sound of its footsteps. _Size, small, probably light. Seems like it has the potential for speed. _I fight to retain my calm when I hear sniffing sounds. _Wavebreaker only hides my image... I can't do anything about my smell! _

"Mm?" It makes a questioning noise, but leaves, heading back for the kitchen.

I wait for a few minutes until I'm sure it's back there again, before letting myself down carefully. Apparently its sense of smell wasn't that great, but I have a feeling that I was just lucky that it missed me then.

_Who was that? _I tense up as another red eye flickers in and out of view. _That size... What's her name... Rumia? But I never heard of her being able to manifest red eyes... unless it's her... what's it called... EX mode? Whoever it is, I better move before it returns. I can always ponder its identity later._

So the library is off-limits... there's only two places left to search, Alice's room and the part with a second floor. Sneaking past the entrance to the kitchen, I hear the thing moving around in the pantry, but don't stop to look. Besides, by now the rain clouds have taken away enough light to force me to rely solely on the thread radar. The door to Alice's room is unlocked, and I slip inside quickly.

There's still sufficient light coming through to let me see, though it has finally started raining. _Hm, her bed, it's been slept in, but... _Feeling the slightest hint of guilt, I poke through her sheets. _Wait a minute... these are my clothes! What the hell were you doing with them, Alice? _I turn towards the desk, where I saw the dolls of me and her last time. _Hm? They're... further apart, but something's..._

I pick up mine, and immediately realize what has changed about it; the hands havebeen sewn together with red thread, possibly proving that Alice has yandere tendencies. For now, I ignore it and search around the place, but I don't find anything else, no bloody symbols, death messages or something like a key to the library.

That left the second floor. Carefully, I exit Alice's room, keeping Wavebreaker trained on the door to my room, where I could hear it moving around. I walk backwards towards the door that led to the extension with a second floor, only turning when I'm right outside it. Alice uses the first floor as a storeroom for extra chairs and such, and I spare a few minutes checking through the place, as well as realizing that I had failed to thoroughly check around the dolls in my room.

_Damn, have to go back later, _I think to myself as I climb up the stairs, _but first, let's have a look at Alice's lab. It's... _My feet stop the moment I spot the key lying on a chair in the center of the place. _This is a bit too coincidental... but for now, let's just pick it- it's oily... and there are crumbs on this. Fried tofu._

Everything fell into place right away; the identities of the intruders in Alice's house, where Alice was and what happened to the doll I made, all because I finally understood what was missing from the pantry.

Feeling anger stirring up inside me once more, I walk down the stairs and head for the library, no longer caring if I make noise doing so. This time, I hear the youkai inside Alice's room, but I ignore her, even as she comes out after me as I'm unlocking the door and pushing it open.

Inside Alice's library, I can see two people, plus I know there's a third sitting in the armchair facing away from the door. The first one is Alice, who's curled up in another armchair dozing. The other... I walk up to the first armchair and lean on its back, and toss the key at her as the youkai follows me in and shuts the door behind us.

"Shouldn't you wipe your hands after eating? Or," I look down at the person in the chair I'm leaning on, "Was it you who told her to do that?"

"Of course it was me." The woman admits. "Isn't that right, Ran?"

_Ran likes fried tofu. Plus, it's not yet winter. So the ones here are the Yakumo family._

* * *

><p>"My apologies, Ikuto-san. I hope you don't think I have such uncouth eating habits." Ran murmurs as she serves me tea.<p>

"Not at all. Chen, how's your hand?"

"It's fine, Ikuto-nii! But it itches a little..." The small girl tugs at the bandage on her hand.

"Chen, you mustn't scratch it." Ran scolds, stopping her shikigami from doing so.

"Okay..." Her tails droop. "Ikuto-nii, sorry about your doll."

I shake my head. "It's fine."

"Ran." The tone is command enough.

"Of course, Yukari-sama. Chen, let's leave."

"Bye bye, Ikuto-nii!" Chen follows Ran out of the room and shuts the door, leaving me alone with Yukari and the sleeping Alice.

"So, where do you want to start?" I ask, setting down the teacup.

Yukari tilts her head to the side. "Why don't you tell me?"

I fight down a flare of irritation. _Aggravating as always. But once again, I owe her. _"Let's start with the biggest issue then. What did you do with her?" I jerk my chin, indicating Alice.

The gap youkai smiles with a hint of sadistic pleasure. "Something that's a lot less cruel than what you would have done."

"Which is?"

Yukari just continues to smile at me, saying nothing.

_Dammit, she never ceases to piss me off. _"Okay, so let's shelve that for later. Did you come just to make me go through some horror house-scene?"

"That was just a bonus." Yukari reaches through a gap, picking up her teacup without shifting her body. "Enjoyed it?"

"A little." I admit grudgingly after considering lying for a moment.

She finishes drinking and lowers her teacup. "Well, you could have beaten Chen in a fight by now, even if you couldn't actually _see_." Yukari's emphasis on the last word tells me she knows about the thread radar.

"Let's just leave it at that." I growl. "You've had your fun already, so let's-"

A finger comes out a gap in front of my face to rest on my lips. "Oh no no, my turn's not yet over." Yukari's smile widens.

I snap down, but she's pulled back already. "So? What is it?"

"Tell me, Ikuto. When you found the blood, were you worried about her?"

"If you're trying to make me change my mind about her, it's no use." The temperature suddenly drops a few degrees. "But, I was." I add hastily.

"So you do care for her." Yukari's expression is unreadable.

_What is she planning this time? _"Well of course." I admit to the truth.

"Yet you say you do not love her."

"You know as well as I do that both emotions are different." I hiss, not wanting to wake Alice by snapping back in my usual manner.

"Just as the way she feels towards you is different from the way you feel towards her."

_Is she trying some kind of psychological attack? _"I may be able to tell how she feels about me, but not the full extent. Yukari." I throw in her name to try and balance our comparative statuses in this conversation.

"The full extent... you should have seen it."

"I can imagine." I respond dryly. "But I don't believe what I did could cause her to be like that."

"Your Burst Needle, you mean." Yukari's eyes narrow. "Indeed, it only laid the foundation."

Mine narrow as well, and I reach for my key. "You... you did something, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't." She holds up the key, somehow managing to take it without my realizing. "The only one who did anything to her is you."

"Dammit, Yukari, what are you trying to do?" My right hand is shaking with repressed anger now.

"I won't answer that. But what I _will_ answer," Yukari's golden eyes flash for a moment. "Is your earlier question."

_What Yukari did with Alice?_ "And?" I prompt.

"This will take a while, so make yourself comfortable." She advises me.

"Just get on with it."

"When you didn't return here yesterday, Alice was... distressed, to say the least. She wounded Chen." There isn't any fury in Yukari when she explains what happened, as though it meant nothing to her. "Clearly, she was unprepared for her newfound emotions."

_So that blood earlier was taken from a reopened wound? And are you saying that I really did set her off?_

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, it was. And no, I'm not Satori." She smiles briefly, enjoying that joke. "And also, pairings between Marisa and her are just the writings of doujin artists."

"Really?" _Wait, this is going off-track, isn't it?_

"Perhaps it might have been different in a few years. But that's not important now." Yukari glances at Alice. "Tell me, Ikuto, how would you have turned her down?"

"Straight." My eyes flick over to Alice for a moment as well, and return back to Yukari.

"How cruel." She stays silent for a while as I pick up my teacup to drink. "I prefer disillusioning, myself."

Instantly, I spit out the tea in my mouth. "Y-You... you didn't!" I gasp, wiping my mouth with the back of my wrist.

"I did." The look of sadistic pleasure appears in full force. "You have such an _extensive_ collection on your laptop, which I have with me, in case you've forgotten."

I reach for my key before I remember that she's still holding onto it. "How much of it?" I ask hoarsely.

"E-ver-y-thing." Yukari pronounces each syllable slowly and clearly. "It took quite a while, of course. Who knew you had such a dark side to you, Ikuto? Collars and such, oh my."

I slump back in my chair. "So... what now? You revealed it all to her, and then what?"

"I'll leave that to her and you." Yukari rises from her seat. "Sometimes, Ikuto, the direct way isn't the right way."

"And yours is?" I demand, standing up as well.

She tilts her head to the side again. "Which of us has the more extensive experience?"

I grimace. "Fine. So, do you expect me to owe you for this?"

"Not at all... consider this... as trying to protect my investment." She smirks at me. "After all, you possess quite a reliable track record."

"I hated the subject of economy." I reply automatically.

"I know. In any case, I'll leave you two to settle things between yourselves. She's made her choice, after all. All that's left is for you to make yours."

"Wait!" I reach out, but Yukari has already left through one of her gaps. _What did she mean, make my choice?_

A piece of paper flutters down, and I pick it up to read. _I'll return your key tomorrow. Don't worry, you'll be fine without it._ Making a face, I crumple it up and throw it into the fireplace to burn.

"Alice... you're awake, aren't you?" I ask without looking at her.

"You knew?" She replies softly.

"You were holding your breath earlier."

I hear her uncurling herself from the armchair. "Ikuto..."

"You sure you want to talk to me? I'm not as perfect as you used to think." I continue speaking without facing her.

"I don't mind."

I turn towards Alice in shock. "What?" I ask, disbelieving my ears.

But when I look at her, the first thing my eyes lock onto isn't Alice's red eyes or disheveled appearance, but the black cloth band that lies exposed around her neck.

"No. _No!_" I whisper in horror, backing away until my back hits the wall. "Are you crazy? Take that off. Take that off! Don't do this!"

"She was right." Alice approaches me, smiling tearfully. "This way... I can be together with you, Ikuto."

_Damn Yukari. That damn Yukari! _"Yo-you're making a mistake, Alice! I'm not-" She kisses me. "I can't-" She kisses me again.

"Don't turn me away." Alice pleads, punctuating her sentence with more kisses.

"Alice- Mm! This isn't yo- Mmm!" I grab her shoulders and push her back. "Why?"

"Because I want to be with you."

I shiver as those words hit me hard. _Going for both my kindness and dark fantasies... Have to turn her down... _"Th-that's..."

"Please..."

"Alice, listen to me." I muster up willpower to speak normally. "I caused you to be like this, it's not real! Your- Mm!"

She breaks off the kiss to meet my gaze squarely. "I don't care. It's real enough to me."

_She's totally serious about this... Just give it to her straight! _"Alice," I push her back again, "Please understand, _I don't love you_." I hit her with the truth.

"But you care for me." Alice counters with another truth. "Don't you?"

"I do, but-!" I sigh in frustration. "What do you want me to do!"

"Accept me." She says simply.

"I thought you were more reserved than this." I tell her quietly.

"I was." Alice struggles to push forward, but I continue keeping her at arms' length.

"How can you do this, Alice?" I try one last plea. "You'll be giving up too much!"

"I don't care." She replies stubbornly.

"I'm not going to stay here forever, Alice!"

"We're connected already. You saw them, didn't you? We'll always be bonded." The emotions in her eyes unsettled me; part determination, part insane belief.

I finally started to understand the depth and intensity of her feelings for me. Clearly, Alice was a yandere. _She's never going to give up. It's my fault; I made her like this. I did this to her. _Now my guilt was involved in this, and I can't do anything else.

"Damn you, Alice. Damn you." I whisper, and envelop her in a tight embrace. "I'm just another puppet to you, aren't I?"

"No, I'm yours now." She whispers back, sliding her arms around my waist in return.

* * *

><p>Well, that turned out... harsh. It wasn't the rejection that everyone was expecting, I bet. But as always, my imagination just leads me to all sorts of random occurrences. With this, the relationship between Ikuto and Alice has changed permanently, though Alice's character seems a bit farfetched. But it's imaginable, isn't it? Magicians tend to live alone, occupying themselves with their research, and according to Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, she hasn't been a magician that long, so while she puts a lot of focus on her magic and such stuff, her emotional state might be too fragile to stand up to the sudden appearance of a crush.<p>

Ran likes fried tofu... but since that was too big a clue, I just left it until the end. I'm not that good at writing mystery, I guess. Plus, Alice's house is too small for such stuff, the SDM would be much better. Still, I wonder how many people thought it might have been Rumia?

Guess I might be taking that week-long break sometime soon... or not, depending on how much effort my muse puts into me.

As for the cloth collar idea, I got that from Tsukino Jougi's Prince of the Stars, which has already been translated. (NSFW)

Needless to say, the next chapter's another X one.


	24. Chapter 23X: Fun isn't with the Puppet

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	25. Chapter 24: Bonds Across Distances

**Ikuto takes Alice to his bed, but does so somewhat grudgingly. This leads to him trying to mistreat her in order to turn her off him... instead, he ends up awakening a masochistic side in her. D: With this failure plaguing him as he goes to sleep, he ends up meeting Komachi alone and somehow naked, and she comes on to Ikuto. This eventually results in them deciding to have a 'friends with benefits' relationship. However, it ends abruptly for reasons unknown, though they both manage to enjoy themselves. XD**

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's go through some things here." I speak to Alice with my hands on her shoulders.<p>

"Yes, Ma-"

I cut her off immediately. "First, you can only call me that on two conditions. One, only in your house, and two, only when it's just the two of us." _She'll definitely object if I ban her outright._

"Second, I am not, repeat NOT, going to repeat last night with you."

That bit of news clearly shocked her, since her jaw drops rather spectacularly. "B-But-!"

"No." I repeat to get my point across. "Last night was... I won't say it's a mistake, but I don't want a repeat of it." _Since I don't quite like confronting my dark side._

"But, why~?" Her voice sounds almost like whining.

"Because..." I pause to get the words needed to form my answer. "I told you that you could be with me, but I don't love you, got that?"

Alice stares at me for a moment, then sighs and closes her eyes. "Yes, I understand."

"Third, we won't ever talk about what we did last night." I meet her gaze for a few seconds, but end up looking away almost immediately. "What the hell are you blushing for? You're making me feel embarrassed too!"

"But you were so..." She's blushing now.

"Alice." I hiss warningly.

I feel her wriggling slightly. "Ahh~ Hearing you say my name is..."

_Just what crazy personality did I unlock in this girl? _I turn to face her again. "Okay, fourth, keep that character toned down. Please."

"If that's what Ikuto asks..." Alice shivers a little. "Ahh~ I love it when you tell me what to-"

I shake her a little. "_Alice._"

She snaps back to her senses. "Sorry, I let myself get carried away for a moment there."

"Okay... I think that's all of them." I release her and step back. "Time to go back in and face the music..."

"Ikuto." Alice catches hold of my sleeve, stopping me.

"Hm?"

"I love you." She confesses her love for me shamelessly.

"I like you only as a friend." I reply immediately.

She looks disappointed for a moment, but nods determinedly. "I won't stop, though."

_Reminds me of some game character._ "Suit yourself." I tell her, and enter the living room from the hallway.

"So... interview?" The girl seated at the table asks cheerfully.

_Three syllables that I've come to dread. _"Sure." I keep that negative emotion bottled in and sit down across from her. "Go on then, Aya, ask your questions."

"Sure thing! I'll make this fast so I can get it printed sooner!" The tengu readies her pen. "Let's start with the usual, then! What do you think of this place?"

Back and forth we go, and I do my best to paint Alice in a better light, like describing her typical silence as dedication to her research, as well as covering up the true extent of her feelings for me by being vague or changing the subject.

"So, what do you think of her?" Aya leans across the table, smirking. "Another girl for your harem?"

"That I can effectively deny. The two of us are just _friends_."

"Then why has the number of chips on the chain on your wrist increased?"

I quickly cover it with my right. "No it hasn't." _Did it? I forgot to check._

"Aha!" Aya grins triumphantly. "If the two of your were just friends, you would have checked it yourself!"

_Shit, she got me there. _I give up and do a double facepalm, feeling frustrated at myself.

"Now, there's no denying it anymore! 'Fess up! Tell me everything!"

I take my hands off my face. "This is supposed to be a column about what I think of Gensokyo, not about my relationship status."

"Is there a difference?" The look on her face says that she thinks there isn't.

I nod, throwing out the first barbed comment I can think of. "Yeah, as much as a difference as there is between your newspaper and Himekaidou's."

That clearly hits her hard, and she glares at me. "You take that back."

"You let me reject any questions I don't want to answer first." I counter.

The tension rises a little as we glare at each other. I crack first, snorting a bit, then breaking out in a fit of chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Aya demands.

I take a while to calm down. "I don't know, I just felt like laughing." I tell her honestly. _Probably because my sense of humor has been warped after last night's... events._

She bristles. "Are you making a fool of me?"

"Nah, not at all." I cross my arms and sit back in my chair. "So, let's get back to the issue. I, and Alice, are friends. That's all I'm going to say."

"Sex friends, got it." Aya smirks at me as she scribbles on her notepad.

"Aya..." I say warningly, leaning forward.

"If you don't want me to write that, then spill." She leans forward as well, matching me stare for stare.

"I've already said my piece. You want more, you ask her. But don't blame me if you don't get what you want."

The tengu clicks her tongue, pushing her chair away from the table and standing up. "Fine. I'll do just that then! Oh, Aliii~ce..."

I watch Aya flounce out of the room, then do a headdesk. _Damn, guess if things aren't interesting enough for her, she starts digging. Next time, I need to come up with something that can satisfy her desire for a scoop._

* * *

><p>I walk towards the village, carrying everything I own in a large rucksack on my back. At the entrance, I turn around and look back along the road I came, searching for and finding the thin sliver of yellow peeking out from the side of a tree a distance away. It's been the same for the last two times I checked, one when I left the Forest of Magic, the other along the road to the village; Alice has been tailing me like some stalker, hiding when I turn around to look.<p>

_Well, if I hadn't suspected that of her, I wouldn't have realized that she was there._ Shrugging, I enter the village and make my way to Boss's shop. "Hey, Boss!" I call out as I enter, "Get me a cup of strong drink!"

"Oh?" He pauses in his bottle-polishing. "There's still more than an hour before lunchtime, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." I dump the rucksack next to the counter and take a seat. "But I just feel like bleaching my brain for a bit."

"I've never heard that expression before." Boss remarks as he sets down the bottle in his hands for an already open one. "Care to let me in on what's causing you trouble?"

I consider it for a while, then nod. "Just the general gist, mind you."

"Of course. Here." He pours me a small cup. "Careful, this one is REALLY strong."

_Can't be stronger than vodka. _I eye the slightly milky liquid suspiciously, then look at the man who poured it for me. "Well, the thing is, there's a girl-" I begin.

"There always is." My listener nods sagely.

"So, I was staying with her for the past few weeks, and... well, I found out she... uhh, kind of, likes me." _That's really downplaying it._

He starts grinning widely. "Oh? So you're puzzled over how to include her in your harem?"

I shake my head. "It's the opposite. I want to keep her _out_ of it."

"WHAT?" Boss slams a fist onto the counter, making the bottle and cup jump. "The more in the harem, the better! Why would you turn that down! You're a disgrace to the male pride! And also..."

I let his ire run its course until he finally pauses for breath. "So, anyway, since I wasn't really that into her, I was intending to reject her..."

"Then? Then? THEN?" With every repetition, he leans further over the corner.

I lean back away from him. "She was very... persuasive."

"So you did get her!" He falters when he sees me shaking my head. "You mean... you...?"

"We had... something. That was it." I hold up my hand to stop him from interrupting me again. "Anyway, let me finish. I gave her a hug goodbye when I left this morning just because I told her I wanted us to be friends."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with that." Boss guffaws.

"There is. It's called giving the wrong signal." I sigh and pick up the cup. "Now I've got my very own... uhm, stalker, I guess." _That small part of me wanted to try foisting Alice off onto Yuuka. Might be perfect, but that would be running away from my responsibilities. Besides, I haven't even _met_ Yuuka yet._

I start off with a sip; it burns as it goes down my throat, making me cough hard. Boss wasn't joking about the strength of this one, it's slightly stronger than vodka, though I can't really make a comparison since I haven't drank a sip of vodka for nearly a year already.

"Anyway," I continue, "If my guess is right, she's going to confess her love to me every time we meet."

"So why don't you just accept her?"

_I did. But I can't really say how that turned out. Best to just leave it as 'we're friends'. _"I have my reasons." I squint at the barely-touched cup. "This... this isn't sake." I say to change the subject.

"Yep, it's alcohol made from the agave plant." Boss winks at me. "You probably might know it as tequila."

"I drank that once before. Just one single shot glass. But then, I didn't just drink it-"

"Finally," He chuckles, "I've been waiting for someone who actually knows about that."

He sets down a dish with a bit of salt and a piece of cut lime next to the cup and gestures at it.

"Go on, then."

Compared to vodka, the last and only time I had tequila was about three years back. It takes a while to recall how to go about it, but the memory comes back to me in the end. I put the salt on the back of my hand first, then lick it up, drain the tequila and pop the slice of lime into my mouth in quick succession. It tastes as strong as I recall, enough to bring my focus away from the past and into the now.

I spit the lime back out into my hand and drop it onto the dish. "Kaaa~... I don't really know much about alcohol, but personally, I thought that was great."

"Thanks. I made that myself."

"You did? How long ago did you start? And how did you make it?" From what I know, this sort of thing just doesn't happen overnight. I'm sure it would take a decade at least.

"About twelve, thirteen years back. The rest is a trade secret. But since you told me about that girl, I'll tell you a little."

Apparently, Boss used to visit bars quite a bit back then, so after some time in Gensokyo without them, he decided to try making some of them himself, armed with knowledge from talking to various bartenders. Needless to say, his attempt worked out quite well, though most of his stock was used to enlist the help of some youkais. Makes me wonder whether Suika is involved. I bet Yukari definitely is.

"So... how much do I owe you?" I'm already dreading how much it's going to cost since the making process is clearly very difficult.

He names a price that rattles me even though I'm already prepared for it. But before I can take out my purse or say anything, our attention is caught by a floating doll carrying a cloth pouch. It drops the pouch on the counter with the sound of clinking money, and then floats out the way it came.

"What... was that?" Boss asks me in a hushed voice.

"Her." I can feel the stare tickling the back of my neck.

"Oh."

"I can't let her pay for me. Just put it on the tab for now. I'll pay you back eventually." _Debt has increased again._

"Never mind about that." Boss flaps his hand at me as he starts clearing away the dish and cup. "That bottle's actually for myself, when I feel the urge to have some. Just think of it like I served you tea when you come visiting."

"Strong alcohol for tea..." I chuckle, "I bet Suika would come down here all the time if she knew. But you'd be losing money if you keep treating me like this."

"I don't run such a poor business. And besides, us outsiders have to stick together!" He grins, striking a cool guy pose.

"Still..." I dig out some money and put it on the counter. "Here, it's hardly enough, but just accept it." _Not enough to pay, but it's more than the price of the usual sake._

"Hm, I see you're set on doing that. Okay then." Boss takes my money, and slides the pouch over to me. "You better return that to her."

I pick it up, hefting the weight of all those coins. "Yep. See you around."

The first thing I do on leaving his shop is to look around. Sure enough, I spot the flicker of blond hair hiding behind the corner of the street, not to mention the suspicious looks the villagers around that area are casting in the same direction. Sighing, I walk over to where Alice is, fast enough that I'm right upon her when she peeks out again.

"Don't pay for me." I hold out the money she delivered to me earlier. "Even if you do, I'm not going to change."

She accepts it wordlessly and nods once. And then continues standing there looking at me.

"Go do your research or something." I make a shooing motion with my hand.

"You're blushing, Ikuto." Alice colors a little. "Is it because of me?"

"No. It's just the alcohol." I grab her shoulders and turn her around. "Seriously, it's not healthy for you to keep following me like this."

"Ahh~ Ikuto, you're wonderful when you're being forceful. But," Her tone shifts to a more serious pitch as she looks back over her shoulder at me. "Eventually, you'll accept me."

_As long as she doesn't do this too often, it might be even remotely possible. '_"Not for a while. Now scat."

I wait a while to make sure she actually leaves, before I head over to Keine's school. Of course, she's in the middle of class, so I don't disturb her. But since it's nearly time for lunch and I'm feeling a little tipsy after that strong alcohol, I enter the school stealthily and get right to work in her kitchen. Just as I'm finishing up, I hear the sounds of the children leaving the classroom to either go home for lunch or eating outside in the garden. I hurry to get the rest of the food ready, so I'm in place to hear footsteps approaching the room. And then, the door slides open.

"Boo!"

"HYAH!" Keine starts back in shock, then catches herself. "Ikuto! Don't _do_ that!"

"Haha, sorry for the intrusion. But I wanted to surprise you."

"You did." She mutters dryly. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"I was waiting for you." I walk over to the door that connects to the kitchen and slide it open. "Tadah~ This is the other surprise." I show her the dishes I made.

"This is... Ikuto, you made all this?" Keine asks as she enters the kitchen, with me following closely behind her.

"Yep. Is it too much? I bought some stuff on my way here, but I had to use some of the food you had too." _Kind of got carried away._

"We can always eat the leftovers for dinner. It's been a while since I ate your cooking."

"Then let's start right now." I suggest cheerfully, picking up the plates to bring them to the dining room.

Halfway through lunch, I realize that after all those meals with Alice, I was actually looking forward to living with Keine. Her calming personality was a great help in mellowing out Mokou while I was staying with that tsundere immortal, but the relaxing atmosphere around her reminds me a little of Hakugyokurou, which I long for sometimes with the faster pace of life in the village.

_That, and she's fun to tease sometimes. _"Ah-loveyou-choo!" I fake a sneeze, and carefully watch her reaction.

Keine freezes, her cheeks suddenly flushing red a few seconds after what I 'said' sinks in. "What?"

"Nothing, just a sneeze." _Heh, so she does, huh?_

"Bless you, then."

After another period of uninterrupted eating, during which she keeps stealing glances at my face, Keine breaks it to ask me what I'm smirking about. Rather than tell her the whole truth, I tell her that since being with her makes me feel relaxed... (I pause for a while after saying that to make her blush again), it kind of reminded me of the time when I, her and Mokou were having dinner together in Mokou's house, and suggest that all three of us should dinner together tonight.

"That sounds like a good-" Keine suddenly stops and stares at me with an undecipherable expression, though it seems kind of sad. "No."

I blink in surprise. "What?"

"No. I'm sorry, Ikuto, but I'm afraid I can't make it tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps."

_Hmm, that's weird... maybe she has work or something. _"Okay then. I'll let Mokou know."

Keine finishes the last of her meal a while after I do and puts down her chopsticks. "Thanks for the food. I'll do the cleaning up."

"No, I should." I protest. "I have to earn my keep, right?"

Her stand remains firm. "You already did the cooking. And besides," Keine smiles as she stacks up the dishes, "If you're my guest, then I'm your host, which means you have to listen to me."

Grinning, I sit back and let her go about doing it. "Fine, then."

Later, as she's drying the plates, I approach her from behind silently and repeat that fake sneeze again. Her body jerks, and Keine drops a small dish. I try to catch it, but fumble it, causing it to break on the ground.

"Gah, I'm sneezing a lot lately." I comment innocently as I kneel down and start picking up the pieces. _Shouldn't have tried that while she was washing up._

"Careful, Ikuto, the edges are sharp." Keine warns as she goes for a broom. "And you should start dressing warmer. It's nearly winter already."

"Yeah, it is. And don't worry, I'll be careful." Gripping the fragment of the dish's edge by its smooth side, I use it to push most of the pieces I can reach into a small pile. "Sorry for startling you with my sneezing."

"Th...that's alright." Keine stutters a little as she begins sweeping up the rest of the broken pieces. "J-just try not-..." Her voice trails off as she keeps her gaze fixed determinedly on the task of sweeping.

_Was that a 'just try not to do it again'? If she stops, does that mean she doesn't want me to stop 'saying' that? _Still keeping my thoughts to myself, I stand up, causing her to flinch back from me. "You're going to be busy teaching the afternoon classes, right? I'll just pay a visit to Mokou and tell her about tomorrow."

"Oh... okay." She pauses for a while, thinking about something else. "Ikuto... I won't be home tonight, so you should stay with Mokou or at Eientei."

_What business is she on? _"Okay... but I'll just leave my stuff here, alright?" I toss my shard into the dustpan and stand up. "I'll be going now."

"Have a safe journey, and see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, and don't let the kids get you down, okay?"

"They could learn a lesson from you in doing that." Keine replies amusedly.

"Oh come on, is my company really that depressing for you?" I protest, grinning.

Her reply is immediate. "No. No, it could never be."

"Glad to hear that." _In more ways than one._

With that, I leave her school. The last I see of Keine as I leave is her entering the classroom, and she smiles and nods at me when I wave, drawing the attention of some of the students in there. I'm sure they'll probably be bombarding her with questions later.

It seems a bit cruel to ignore Alice like this, but now that I've already made up my mind, I think it's best that I try to keep her at arm's length. Also, I can admit it straight to myself: I like, maybe love, Keine. And she probably feels the same towards me. I'd like to think that all either of us have to do is to confess and then we'd be in a relationship, et cetera, et cetera, but obviously there's something stopping her from doing so, so I can't either.

_Seems like I'm doing nothing but problem solving in Gensokyo... Guess I'll drop by the Bamboo Forest and work off my debt or something._ Humming some random song that pops into my head, I head off in that general direction.

* * *

><p>My hands are shaking as they hold up the newspaper for my eyes to scan; I didn't know what Alice said in her interview with Aya, but now I did. The article on me was simple and clear-cut, talking about the good points of Alice's place and the stuff to watch out for or avoid in the Forest of Magic, but compared to that, the one featuring the interview with Alice is way more 'interesting'. I can totally see my reputation as a playboy increasing yet again... and though Aya has described Alice as 'a maiden in love', it's easy enough to read between the lines to see the underlying description of 'obsessed'...<p>

"She really captured the stalker angle in this." I say out loud. _Wonder how _her_ reputation is going to change in the village now... Maybe not many people will believe it since it's a tengu paper, plus the Bunbunmaru still has that reputation of a entertainment piece. But my hopes aren't high..._

"I'm sure Udonge would like to have a word with you when she gets back from her deliveries." Eirin replies as she works on packing medicines into small bottles and packets.

"I'm kind of dreading that... What about Kaguya?"

"The princess hasn't read it yet either. But she misses you." I look over the top of the paper to see Eirin smiling wryly at me. "Not just because she lacks a gaming partner, Ikuto."

"I've had enough of that game already -usa." Tewi's muffled voice comes down from the ceiling. "Good of you to come back."

"Thanks, Tewi. I don't think I'll run the course today, though."

"Okay -usa." The sound of her moving in the space above the ceiling fades off into the distance.

"Let me help you with that before I go see Kaguya." I put aside the paper and start assisting Eirin.

We work side by side in silence for a while, except for the rustling of paper and the clinking of pills as they fall into bottles.

"So... out of curiosity... when was the last time you did it before me?" I ask without thinking, and wince when I realize that that stupid part of my mind just hijacked my mouth.

"Hmm~?" Eirin leans against my shoulder, smirking. "Jealous?"

"Hardly." I push back against her a little. "I thought with all the time you held yourself back, it must have been..."

"I'm not _that_ desperate, thank you." Despite her words, her tone is jokingly light.

"Then let's test it out, shall we...?"

Before I realize what I'm doing, I push Eirin up against the counter and start kissing her hard. However, that's as far as my attack goes; my hands are kept firmly away from any potentially dangerous areas, and the only 'risky' contact between our bodies is at the mouth and the chest. After a bit of trading of oral fluids, I pull back from her, both of us panting hard.

Apparently, I had just attacked Eirin... something that I normally wouldn't have done unless I was under the influence of one of her drugs, which I definitely wasn't. _Did unleashing my darker side on Alice last night have anything to do with it? _That is the thought that is running through my head as I stare at Eirin's flushed expression.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to give me a checkup?" Eirin asks coyly, unbuttoning her front to reveal some cleavage.

"N...Not today, I think." _Not until I come to terms with my current self. _"Let's just keep our clothes on for now."

I'm feeling extremely guilty as she studies my face curiously, but I force myself to meet her eyes resolutely so she can see that I'm serious. Eirin might act like a man-eater sometimes, but she's not a genius for nothing.

She sighs and starts fixing her clothes. "I expect you to make it up to me in the future." She tells me pointedly.

I nod furiously. "Of course. But without any drugs this time, please."

Eirin laughs softly and pushes my shoulder lightly. "We'll see. You better go see the princess."

I peek into Kaguya's room to find her curled up inside taking a nap. Normally I'd just leave her alone, but somehow today, I'm feeling extremely... how should I describe it, liberated? Whatever the term is, I sneak inside and sit cross-legged next to her dozing form. As always, she looks extremely beautiful, even with her long jet-black hair scattered all over the place, but her sleeping form presents an element of vulnerability that I find too good to pass up.

Of course, nothing sexual... I lightly pinch a lock of her hair and use it to tickle the bottom of her chin lightly. It takes a few tries before she responds, mumbling as she rubs the skin there with one hand. I continue teasing her for a while, but since the only parts of her skin exposed are on her hands and her face, there's not much I can do. Still, it is cute to see her sneeze lightly when I tickle her little nose. But I'd best wake her up.

_It's kind of fun to act like this once in a while. _I think to myself as I turn Kaguya onto her back and lean in to kiss her. "Wake up, my dear princess." I whisper after touching my lips to hers for a few seconds.

She stirs a little, mumbling. "...Ikuto?"

"Yes, it's me." I confirm, and brush her lips with mine once more. "Were you longing for me?"

Kaguya's eyes open wide, locking onto my face. "I wanted to see you so much."

That's all she says before she launches herself on me and embraces me tightly, initiating the third kiss. _Guess it's because we're alone together? Or is it because I came at the right time? _Her body feels so small in my hold, but she's squeezing me tight enough to hurt a little. _But I only came by a few days ago... Mm, she tastes and smells nice anyway..._

After a few long minutes of making out with each other, I start talking about what happened since the last time I came by while Kaguya sits in my lap with my arms around her. As always, she's a good listener, so I end up telling her everything, including the part regarding Keine.

"Then you just have to find out what is stopping her and deal with that." Kaguya advises, resting a hand on my clasped ones around her waist.

"Hope it'll be that easy." I look down at the Lunarian princess. "You're not bothered that I'm going after her?"

"If I can share you with Mokou, I can share you with anyone."

"Magnanimous, aren't you?" I tease, nuzzling the side of her face, causing Kaguya to giggle uncharacteristically.

"That is because my prince is a man of such _appetites._" Though her tone is light, I can feel the comment stabbing into me.

Wincing inside at the emotional attack, I take her other hand and hold it against my face, enjoying the smooth feeling of her skin. "So, does my princess want a boon for all the suffering I put her through?" _I'm such a weird romantic when I'm alone with a girl._

"Play the game with me." Kaguya answers promptly.

"You sure? You don't want to ask for something else... like a continuation of what we were doing earlier?"

"That is normal between lovers, Ikuto." She smiles sweetly at me. "Will thou grant me this boon, oh prince of my heart?"

_Damn, I'm not sure if that's super cute or super sneaky. Maybe both. _"By the way, last time we used to sit so far apart from each other... yet now you're right on top of me."

"I have given you my body already." Kaguya's reply is simple, though she's blushing. "Surely there's no need for us to be so reserved?"

Chuckling, I squeeze her a bit and release my hug on her. "Yeah, you're right. Okay then, I'll take you on!"

Obviously, she still can't win over me. I must have a talent for that game.

On the other hand, what I do _not_ have a talent for is the act of explaining things to Reisen and getting her to accept them peacefully.

"Ikuto, you're _perfectly_ free to love whoever you want." Reisen tells me, and storms off.

Tewi pokes me with an elbow. "That went well -usa."

"Shut up." I look at the others. "I'm going to go after her."

"Good luck." Eirin nods, giving me the go-ahead, and I take off after Reisen.

_Now, if I was Reisen, where would I go to sulk...? Of course, her own room. I think. _I head over there as fast as I can, and thrust the door open. _Yep, there she is, huddled in a corner... and giving me a look of anger._

"Get out."

"No." I stride over to her.

Reisen tries to slip past me to escape, but I tackle her and push her down on the floor, looking her in the eyes. Already I can feel the insanity spreading inside me; it appears that with more repetitions, the faster the effect takes hold.

"Let me go." She demands fiercely.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say." This time, she's not looking away; it's like a game of mental chicken.

"I refuse to listen!" With that, Reisen starts struggling against me.

"I love you, Reisen."

That did the trick. She stops fighting my hold and looks up at me.

"I love you." I repeat, and pull her up into a tight embrace. "Sorry for being an idiot about your feelings."

"About time."I can hear the exasperation in her voice as she mutters into my ear.

_Guess the thing about rabbits possibly dying of loneliness has some basis in reality. _"Hey, I might not be able to love only one person, but I'm not going to lie when I say-"

"Just hold me, Ikuto." Her grip on me tightens slightly. "And don't try anything funny."

As I see to that task, I make a note in my mind to visit Eientei more often to reassure this cute little bunny of my affections. It's tough maintaining a harem, but I don't regret it at all. Not one bit. Not when there are such displays of cuteness like this. Spoiling them is quite entertaining as well, as I reaffirm when we return to where the others are.

"Say ah~"

"Ahh... Mmmm~ delicious." Reisen chews for a while. "Let me have some of that next."

_The way she's eating reminds me a little of Suika... except the oni probably wouldn't care about asking me for stuff like this._

"Haa..." Kaguya sighs with envy as she watches from the side. "I want him to feed me "

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself, Udonge." Eirin teases her apprentice. "Is being fed by Ikuto _really_ that great? Maybe he's fattening you up to _eat_ later."

"Ma-Master!" Reisen blushes, hard.

"I don't mind if the both of you really want- Hey! Tewi! Don't snatch my snacks!" I jump to my feet and pursue the mischievous little rabbit for revenge.

All in all, the same old characters of Eientei. With a bit of change in my relationships with each of them, of course.

* * *

><p>I might know how to navigate between the village and Eientei and Mokou's place, but I'm not good enough to go looking for Mokou when it's nearly dark. Since it's nearly winter, daytime has been getting shorter, so I don't want to risk getting lost. Sure, I can find my way, <em>IF<em> I happen to find a rabbit youkai, but that's quite unlikely to happen. So the best course of action to find Mokou is to wait for her at her house.

But from what I know of her, she's not likely to come back anytime soon. So instead of waiting inside doing nothing, I'm outside exploring the new Keyblades I had unlocked.

_It sucks to realize that I'm playing around like that in an unconscious attempt to forget about Alice... but I guess I can't run away from this after all. _I spread my arms wide and inhale deeply. _I'm in Gensokyo, and everyone I meet are people I interact with... meeting with them, that's a part of me. Denying that... would be denying myself. _Slapping myself on the cheeks lightly, I pull out the key, and focus on summoning the new forms.

Komachi's one comes easily and eagerly. The handle resembles polished wood in texture and appearance, with the boat-shaped ring section of the handle a dull bronze, like the coin she has on her belt. As for the flat shaft, it's like the length of a samurai sword, black on one side, white on the other. But it's the bit that grabs my attention the most, since unlike the previous ones, it is much more elaborate; on the black side is the blade of a scythe, except it is hooked similar to the claw of a praying mantis, while on the other half there is a bunch of small coins arrayed in the shape of a fan, linked to the central flat bronze disk at the end of the shaft by thin metal rods that are designed to look like red cord. As for the keychain, it is another coin, except that it is threaded through with the pole of a scythe.

_Woah, that looks _wicked._ Wonder what it does... _I take a few experimental swings with it. _Huh, this... might be a bit risky to use it in a real battle. It wants to play instead. But what does it do? _This time, I slash a small pebble I toss up in the air. _Huh? The sparks looked like coins? What the hell? Let's see that again._

Unexpectedly, when I cut through a second pebble with a backswing, it and the first pebble suddenly speeds towards each other like there was some strange power of attraction between them, coming together with a loud clack before falling apart.

_Like magnets. _"Woah, how did that fucking work?" I ask no one. (1)

After a few more experiments, I realize that Komachi's Keyblade has the ability to close or extend distances between two things I hit with it, in the physical sense only. It really works like a magnet; if I use the same side on each time, it causes repulsion for two seconds, the strength depending on the initial distance between the two, the strongest being able to shatter a bamboo stalk. However, if I use a different side for the second cut, it's a two-second-long strong attraction force instead with the opposite rule; the further, the stronger the attractive force, though it also ends if the two points make contact first.

_Man, that's dangerous. _I think as I stare at the second broken bamboo. _That was like... _I look at the place I started from, _ten meters away? I could _kill_ with something like this. Anyway, it appears that the targeting lasts indefinitely, but it always works in a set of two. _If I cut a third time before the two second time limit is up, the initial force would end abruptly. _Hmm, if the force was a bit weaker, I could make use of it like a whip... But with this, I just have to cut down two bullets and they'll repel each other away._ _Now for a name..._

Something tickles in my mind. "Huh? You don't want it yet?" _Maybe like Wavebreaker, there's some ability I don't know about yet? Or rather... _I eye it suspiciously. _You rather I name you after using you to fight Cirno or something in a joke battle._

"Tsk, whatever." I switch back to Future Gazer and make a few practice passes. "Been a while since we had some training together, partner."

That's when it happens; if Komachi's Keyblade came eagerly, I'd describe this one as breaking its chains to come out. A warm feeling envelopes my entire right hand as Future Gazer trades its shape for the form that corresponds to Alice.

_What the...? This is... it doesn't fit her image... okay, it doesn't fit her _former_ image. _I think as I look at the new shape my Keyblade has taken. _There's a skintight black glove on my hand, with tiny white threads extending from the tips of my fingers to the dark brown square of the head. Between that and the long blocky grey shaft is a medium-sized reel bearing wire, with a brown X for the bit at the end. Kind of like the old doll manipulating cross-shaped thing. Except... _I study the other six strange reels that are spaced evenly along the sides of the shaft with three on each side, plus four even smaller counterparts on the four points of the X, though those have wires extending into a small hole in the center of the cross. _Now that I look closely at it, there's a grille at the tip. Don't tell me the wires come out through- OH MY GOD! _

Wires _did_ come out through them, winding tightly around my finger when I rubbed it over the grille. At the same time, the other seven reels release their own wires, each with a different colored tint to wrap around me, while the inky black fabric of the glove suddenly starts growing upwards along my wrist. I jerk the weapon away from me, but it resists strongly.

"Let... GO!" I push harder, ignoring the pain of the wires cutting into my skin. "Let go of me!"

Just as suddenly as they had came out, the wires retracted, releasing their hold on me. _This reminds me of a very attached pet... needs training or it'll climb all over me. _I glare at the glove, and it relinquishes its territory on my wrist. _Still, this Keyblade is probably the most versatile. Wires can cut, grab, weave... _I spread my fingers wide, relying on the threads to keep the Keyblade within my 'grip', and immediately the reels let out small lengths of wires that wave around in the air like feelers.

"Nanasen! (2)" I flick it out, it responds readily with its long wires extending and tearing rows into the ground on their way to attack the target.

I take a while to examine the results; I had avoided aiming for the trunks on purpose, but the high-speed wires managed to slice the small offshoots off so cleanly they barely moved. A second flick causes the reels to emit a high-pitched whine as they spun crazily, and the wires wove themselves together to form a makeshift shield that floated in the air. On the whole, the Keyblade is one of the most receptive to my thoughts, nearly on the same level as Phantom Blossom.

_I see... it's quite similar to manipulating the magic threads. And the glove is a way for me to control their tension; relax my fingers, and they are like threads, but if I clench them into a fist, they harden, making it possible to form a hammer or some other shape. Practically a Green Lantern ring. Still, _I scold it harshly again, making it pull back the wires it was trying to wrap around me, _I feel really uncomfortable about using this one. Not only does it feel like I'm making use of Alice, but I don't really like the way it keeps trying to 'hug' me._

"Well, let's just give you a name..." I think for a long time, occasionally pausing to shake the Keyblade to remind it not to wrap me in wires.

It's tough... no matter how much I think, I just keep coming back to using the word 'Wire' in its name. So now I need something else to provide the second half. In the end, I come up with the word 'Performance', since that represented the ability of this Keyblade and Alice's puppetry together. When I actually name it out loud, the keychain I had all but forgotten about burst into blinding bright light, forcing me to cover my eyes until it faded.

_A doll... hanging from a wooden cross. _"No. Don't wrap me in your- NO. Pull those back, now. Okay, that's- Don't start again!"

In the end, I just banish it back into its miniature form and head back to get ready to welcome Mokou home. I do my best to cook something good, plus I even make a few trips to the river for water so I let her have a hot bath. But after Wire Performance's appearance, I'm left feeling kind of down.

_Wonder what Mokou will say when I tell her that I'm planning to confess to Keine...? No, wait, I still haven't figured out what's bothering Keine in the first place. _I sigh, irritated at how one negative thought spawned so many more. _I need to do something to take my mind off... _Then I hit on it... and grin really wide.

* * *

><p>I hear the knock soon enough, and I quickly get into position before the door. She should know I'm here from the light of the fire through the window.<p>

"Is that you, Ikuto?" Mokou's muffled voice calls through the door moments before it starts to open. "Whatever you're cooking, it smells-"

She stops dead when she sees me kneeling before the entrance. I was second-guessing myself for what felt like a long time even though I barely managed to get everything set up for her, but the moment I see her expression, it all becomes worth it even though my face is already flaming red with embarrassment.

"Welcome home, Darling. Would you like to have dinner first? Or perhaps a bath? Or maybe... me?" I manage to deliver that line perfectly thanks to lots of last minute practice.

Coupled with the fact that I look like I'm dressed in only an apron (I have my underwear on underneath, but she can't see it from this angle), it appears that I've totally fried Mokou's mind, since she starts stuttering and speaking complete gibberish. Then she does something I don't expect.

Mokou faints, slumping to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

_You know, I think this counts as a WIN._ I think as I stare at her limp body, then sneeze. _Gah, it's cold. Let's get her in and get dressed properly._

* * *

><p>(1) Troll meme. 'Magnets, how do they work?'<p>

(2) Index's Kanzaki Kaori's attack, done with her sword and wires.

Can you say TROLOLOLOL? After I suddenly remembered that 'Darling, I'm home' part in chapter 9, this idea suddenly came to me. Technically though, it's not the sort of stuff you'd like to see a guy doing... unless your tastes run that way.

Probably some of you might be able to guess why Keine is refraining from entering into a relationship with Ikuto, but just wait and see.

Any suggestions for a name for Komachi's Keyblade? Really, the ability is perfect, but I'm having a little trouble thinking of a fitting name since it kind of came from a sex friends relationship, different from all the previous ones (barring Alice). On the other hand, wires fit Alice's awakened side much better than threads, doesn't it? I had the idea for it long ago, though it only solidified after my random writing took me into writing her as an M.

Well, thanks to all those who are reading this story, and sorry if some of you didn't like how Alice got the short end of the stick... but that's just me. Also, since I've started working, I won't be able to spend as much time writing this story as before, so the rate of release will be slower.


	26. Chapter 25: The Key to the Gauntlet

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Hope to continue putting out more stuff for you to enjoy.**

* * *

><p>"I feel like I saw something I shouldn't have..." Mokou mutters, holding her head.<p>

"It's probably your imagination. Here." I hold out a bowl of rice. _I think it's for the best that she forgot about it. I myself would rather forget about it... it was SO DAMN EMBARRASSING!_

"Thanks." She eats a few bites, then stops to look at me. "So, what brings you here?"

"What, can't I come visit you?" I respond by counterattacking.

"Ah, no, I didn't mean..." Mokou looks away. "I'm glad that you came." I hear her mumble.

"But actually... we have to talk." _I'm purposely using a line that would strike horror in a lover._

But since Mokou hasn't had any experience with relationships, actual or written records, she just thinks I'm going to discuss something important with her... which is true.

"What is it?" She asks, chewing another clump of rice.

"Uhh..." _Mixing important matters with food isn't a good thing, so... _"We can leave it until after we're finished eating."

Her eyes narrow slightly. "You're hiding something."

"For now." I smile as reassuringly as I can. "I'll tell you later, I promise."

Mokou just grunts and continues eating, the utter picture of a tsun girl. If she's like this normally... it makes me dread how she'll be like when she's actually angry. I still don't think that her current- I mean, before I came- relationship with Kaguya is one of true rage. Maybe when they first started out... but not now.

After the dishes are washed and dried, I sit down near the fire next to Mokou, who's looking at the crackling flames with a contented expression. With the weather getting increasingly colder, this delicious warmth is a small pleasure to be greatly treasured.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Mokou starts off the conversation, though her words sound like they're being forced out through a dreamy state.

"Mokou... tell me honestly, what do you think of the other girls who're with me?"

"Sorry?" This time, her icy voice betrays her sudden return to lucidity.

"You know, Youmu, Yuyuko, the Eientei party..." My voice trails off as my eyes look away involuntarily. _It's not easy bringing up this subject..._

"I've talked to that gardener girl a few times before while you weren't around." Mokou shrugs, leaning against me. "As long as you don't fall out of love with me... I can live with them."

"So..." I make my tone light just in case. "That means if I add-"

Instantly, the immortal with white hair is on top of me, gripping the collar of my shirt with her fingers. "Who?" She demands fiercely.

The ferocious look is enough to take down my grossly unprepared defenses and make me give up the answer without any resistance. "Keine."

"Ke-Ke-Keine?" Her grip slackens, letting me fall back onto the wooden floor. "I-Ikuto, you..."

"Yeah, I love her." It sounds a bit like a lie, since I myself wasn't completely sure of my own feelings, but I suppose it's at least a seventy percent chance it's 'love' rather than 'like'. "Too." I add as an intended reassurance.

"We-well... she did say she liked your company... and also..." Mokou's self-justifying speech fades out to barely audible muttering.

_Why yes, Dear, I'm asking you if you would mind letting me bang your best friend. I mean, I already- _That accursed part of my mind manages to say before I squelch it and bury its remains under a boulder of nervousness. "Youmu told you about my... emotional problem?" I ask softly.

She nods, speechless after the revelation about my feelings for Keine.

"Honestly... I might- _might,_ mind you- fall for some other girls too... but I can promise you I'm not going to-" _Not just your friend, Honey. I also have my eye on some of the other hot pieces of ass around this place... you don't mind, do- _

This time, it gets a dual clothesline from Logic and Levelheadedness, followed by a suplex by Common Sense, finished off with an elbow drop performed by Denial of Self. Then Referee Objection! hauls it away.

"Going to what?" Mokou asks suspiciously.

I convey my answer by sitting up and wrapping my arms around her, burying my face against the side of her neck. At first she tenses up, but Mokou melts soon enough and returns my embrace. After a few minutes, I let go and look her in those red eyes.

"Sorry for being someone who doesn't deserve your love." I apologize right away.

"That's okay..." From the dreamy look on her face, she's in full dere mode... perfect for convincing.

Still, I'd best go about it carefully. "So... about Keine..."

"What about her?..."

_It's fading fast. _"Originally, I planned for the three of us to have dinner together tonight instead of tomorrow, but she suddenly told me she couldn't make it. Is there something troubling her?"

"..." Mokou thinks for a while, then gives me a serious look. "Ikuto... I probably shouldn't be telling you about this... but Keine... Keine isn't actually human."

_No, I technically don't know... Oh wait, _I recall Akyuu's Gensokyo Chronicles, _I do. Just that she's never mentioned it, so I didn't either. Plus I haven't actually seen it myself. _My eyes widen in surprise. _That's what's holding her back?_

Mokou, misreading the reason for my surprise, nods. "It's true. She's a youkai... part-youkai, actually."

"Wait, Mokou. Excuse me for a bit." I push her off gently.

But I rush for the door like a man on fire and thrust it open to look up at the night sky. It's a fine night; there's hardly any clouds blocking my view of the starry sky. And the full moon is perfectly visible as it shines among the tiny lights.

_A full moon. So Keine transforms tonight? Then that means... _

"Ikuto, what's wrong?" Mokou asks from behind me. "What are you-" Her tone changes when she sees where I'm looking. "Ikuto."

"Hm?" I break off to look at her.

"How did you know about the moon affecting Keine?"

"I read about it in the scrolls I borrowed from Akyuu." I reply right away.

"Then you... knew already?"

I nod. "Yes, it's just that we've never really talked about it..." _Wonder why Keine didn't mention it herself?_ "Hrk!" I grunt suddenly, gripping my left wrist.

"What? What's wrong?" Mokou lays her hand on my shoulder concernedly.

"I don't know... it's just..." I peek at the chain. _A blank chip has appeared? This never happened before. _I think back to a few moments ago. _Is this related to Keine?_ "I think this... this is related to the Keyblade."

"What do you mean? Let me see, Ikuto."

I hold up my left hand, showing her the chain with the chips on it. She already knows about Youmu and Yuyuko's Keyblades, but this time, I show her hers and explain my theory that they form due to the link I have with each respective girl, as indicated by a corresponding chip. She seems surprised to see flames from a different source apart from hers, but from the way the fire spreads over her eagerly with a touch, it is clear that what I told her about her link to its origins is completely true.

"I'm not going after Keine because I want a new one. It's just..." I think about my answer a bit more, but can't come up with anything else. "Uhh..." _Smooth... _

Surprisingly, Mokou doesn't probe further. "A link... huh?" She murmurs, handling a tongue of flame from Blaze Revive. "Ikuto..."

"Yes?" I respond with a bit of nervousness. _I'll think it through later... if I remember._

"I don't know about the other girls... but you better not hurt Keine, or I won't let you off."

"That's the last thing I would ever want." I glance at the closed door.

Mokou doesn't miss that. "You should go to her."

"No." I reply, surprising myself. "Not yet."

"Not yet? What are you waiting for?"

I put an arm around Mokou's shoulders and pull her close. "Well, I wasn't intending to leave without giving one of my girls the full high class treatment."

"High class?"

I steer her into the bathroom and towards the large bathtub of water I filled before she came back. By now, it's nearly cooled off, but Mokou catches on quickly and warms it up again. We both strip off our clothes in silent mutual agreement and enter the water, enjoying the heat.

"The high class treatment consists of a warm bath after a delicious dinner... followed by some _dessert_."

"Dessert?" Mokou doesn't get it. Not yet.

Grinning, I lean in close to whisper an explanation, getting a kick out of seeing her turn really red.

"Look forward to it."

* * *

><p>"You sure you don't want to do it more than once? I can still go, you know." I raise one eyebrow at the naked girl next to me.<p>

"It's enough for me." Mokou mumbles while shaking her head, still breathing hard. "You should go. Want me to accompany you?"

"Yeah, I guess I should," I lean over to peck her on the cheek. "And no, I'll be fine alone. By the way, you're beautiful, Mokou."

"Sh-shut up." She manages to snap, burrowing under the covers.

_Cute. _I get to my feet and start dressing myself. _It was quite short, but that's to be expected with her body always the same._ "Where would Keine be?" The answer pops into my head just as the question leaves my lips. "Oh right, at home of course."

Mokou pokes her head out from the blanket to look at me. "Why ask if you know?"

"My thinking speed isn't always that fast." I finish dressing and double-check that I have the key with me. "I'll be leaving now."

"Be careful."

I can see the concern in her eyes; she cares greatly for my safety... obviously she really cares for me. It really hurts me considering all the stuff I've done NOT to deserve it. Still, even if I feel like crap about this, I will do my best to respond to whatever I receive. In this case, that involves pulling her in for one last hug and smooch.

"Well, here I go." I nod and stride out the door.

It's not as dark as I expected since the full moon is lighting the way, but there's still a lot of shadows nonetheless. Just in case, I bring out Phantom Blossom and get my bearings before I take off in the direction of the village.

The whole situation is a lot different from that time in Alice's house with the extra moonlight, but instead of making it better, it now makes me wonder if there's any youkai hiding behind the shadow of a clump of bamboo. _I'm not nervous, I'm not nervous... then why are you running?_ This time, I'm too worried about the possible threats to silence my rebellious mind. _None of my previous encounters with youkai took place at night._

I spot a few youkai rabbits, and exchange waves with them, but don't stop to chat. Once in a while, I stop to listen, and continue onwards when I don't hear anything out of the ordinary. Eventually I make my way out of the Bamboo Forest, but when I look at the route towards the village, I realize that I had been lucky.

"Holy shit..." I stare wide-eyed in shock at the large number of youkai along the path. _Is this somebody's idea of a bad joke? _

One of them notices me. "Hey, human!" It causes the others to notice me as well.

"Me?" I point at myself and look around. _Yep, me._

"Of course I mean you." He draws closer. "What's a human doing in a place like this?"

"I was... visiting a friend." My grip tightens around the handle of my Keyblade which I'm holding carefully behind me. "May I go through?" I ask as respectfully as I can.

"Of course. Go on through."

I practically sprint my way through the crowd. _Oh man, oh man, oh man... _All around me are youkais of various types, though there's mainly beast types. _Why are they all gathered on this night? Unless it's also because of the full moon?_

"You know, I'm feeling kind of hungry." Hearing that line from one of the youkai I'm passing by sends chills down my spine.

"Maybe there'll be some humans about." Another replies hopefully.

_Shit. _I flex my wrist to loosen it up just in case. _I can't see an end to this crowd... what exactly has them all gathered?_

"Hey!" My heart sinks when I hear that exclamation. "That's a human!"

The cry is taken up by more and more of the youkais, until nearly every one of them is looking at me. Some of the bigger ones move to obstruct my way forward, forcing me to stop and get ready to fight.

"So... what's everyone gathered for?" I ask with false jovialness.

They just drew closer silently, and I can make out the hungry looks on some of their faces. _Akyuu's notes said to offer them something else to eat... but there's nothing I have for a crowd this huge. Guess... _I swap Phantom Blossom for Burst Needle. _I have to fight._

"What are we waiting for? Get him!" One of them cries out, just as I inject myself in the thigh with the booster.

_Objective: Make it through the crowd. _I slip past the first few with my enhanced speed, but behind them are even more, so I'm forced to fight, which I do by taking aim at limbs and depressing Burst Needle's button to disable them. _One, two, threefourfivesix!_ I fire repeatedly at specific targets like the shoulder, neck or spine, dropping twitching bodies as I flow past.

"Clear some space! I'll take care of him!" Another youkai screams from above.

Thanks to reflexes built up by training with Alice, I respond by switching over to Wavebreaker and firing a single shot upwards in a second to knock it out of the sky. But the others realize the merit of that youkai's tactic and launch a furious volley of danmaku.

"Still too early to pay the shinigami!" I react by swapping Burst Needle for Komachi's Keyblade. Inspiration strikes me. _That's it! _"I name you, Reaper's Toll!"

The keychain flashes as I bring the newly named Reaper's Toll up and slash across the danmaku with large, sweeping cuts, causing them to repel each other to create a space for me to go through. _Thanks, Komachi. But now that they're further away, I can do _THIS! I jump forward, slashing through my right foot first, then the ground moments before I land. _If I don't pull this off properly with the balance I trained to get, I'm gonna fly into the forest!_

"WOOOOOOOAH!" The resulting repulsion launches me extremely high, shooting past a few flying youkai.

_Heh, they look pretty shocked. _I switch back to Burst Needle again, taking aim the best I can in midair. _Another, and another, and- it's not working on that one!_

The youkai in question suddenly swings a heavy sword at me, which I barely block. As it is, it knocks me back down to the ground, and I barely manage to reduce the impact by weaving a sturdy coil with Wire Performance. It follows up with another attack, which I catch with Phantom Blossom. The two of us lock blades, fighting to push back our opponent.

_I see, a tsukumogami. _(1) _A sword, huh? _I push aside the blade and execute a diagonal slash, cutting both the arm and the body of the manifestation, turning the entire movement into a spin that culminates with an elbow to the severed hand to send the sword flying into the crowd.

"Ho~!" A youkai shrills from above me, the sound preceding a wave of intense heat.

_Eternal Inheritance: Fire Rat's Robe! _The flames that wash over me barely heat up my body as I run through the firestorm spouting from the open beak of a bird-like youkai. Still, I can barely see through the flames, so I end up running out into a group of youkai instead. The fire-breathing youkai follows me, forcing me to stay with Eternal Inheritance to avoid being burned. _At least the fire is chasing away the others._

"Ahh! I'm on fire!"

"Somebody stop him!"

"Ah, the human is escaping!"

"Where?"

"I got him!"

A big ogre tries to grab me, but I twist and slide between his legs, switching to Burst Needle in reverse grip momentarily as I spin, jabbing it into his thigh to paralyze him while pushing myself back onto my feet. With his huge size affording me some relief from the flames, I swap over to Wire Performance and release its power.

"Stop breathing fire, damn it!" _Angle of incoming... judging by the spread... over there! Spread out... searching... Gotcha!_

I clench my fist, hardening the wires as I swing down, sending the youkai crashing into the ground. The glove takes the opportunity to spread up my arm quickly, but I switch it out for Phantom Blossom and start running again.

"I will not permit you to pass!" Another blade-wielder comes at me.

"I will not permit you stop me!" I retort, angling the point of my weapon downwards, catching his horizontal slash along the length and pushing it up to pass harmlessly above me. "Hah!"

_This instant reversing is really useful. _I think as I slide forward, slashing through the youkai's midriff in one smooth pass. _And back to normal to deflect another attack from- Kamaitachis!_ (2) I start dodging and parrying their attacks furiously, using all of Phantom Blossom's ability in addition to Burst Needle's boost to keep up. _Damn, these guys are fast!_

I tilt my head to the right to avoid a sickle aimed at my temple, following through the motion with a no-hands cartwheel to dodge another coming at my legs from the opposite direction, cutting at the weasel youkai as I land back onto my feet. It twists its long body to avoid my strike, but I'm already moving for the next attack. By purposely letting the momentum of my swing spin me around while I step in, I take advantage of the turn to check my surroundings, but most of my focus is on stabbing behind me, right where the kamaitachi is.

_They're closing in. _My eyes finish scanning the crowd in a moment as the youkai I just impaled squeals with discomfort. _Orientation is confirmed._ _Time to run!_

I pull my weapon free of the kamaitachi and dodge its partner's next attack; a upward slash that comes from beneath. I strike, once, twice, and it goes down to join the first. Normal weapons don't work on youkai; they have to have some 'origin', according to Akyuu. But it appears that my Keyblade has the power to affect them in some way. I glance back to see the two weasels writhing on the ground, feeling a bit of relief that my attacks aren't fatal.

"Stop him!" The cry is taken up by more of the crowd. "We won't forgive you for that!"

"Damn it! I didn't ask for you guys to attack me!" I yell back.

An one-eyed ogre, even bigger than the first, steps in front of me. "Smash you!" It roars, swinging down a club three times my size.

_Four-Petal Bloom! _I split it apart, then switch over to Reaper's Toll. _Repel!_

The three gigantic pieces explode out and away from above me, flying out into the surrounding crowd, leaving the ogre blinking stupidly at me standing just out of reach of the stump that remains of its weapon. Seeing my chance, I revert back to Phantom Blossom, and run up its arm and onto its shoulder, then switch back to Reaper's Toll.

"Time to... FLYYYYYYY!" I scream just because I feel like it, repeating the leg-foothold slash. "WAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The speed is almost like riding with Marisa; the multitudes of youkai blur past me as the repulsion sends me flying at a nearly horizontal arc. There was just one thing I forgot to account for: the forward momentum was too much for air resistance to slow me down; I barely manage to curl into a ball before I hit the ground, but it still hurts a lot when I bounce, once, twice, three times, then a fourth, like a stone skipping across water. Even so, I still slide a huge distance even after I stop bouncing.

_Crap... I can feel the effects wearing off. And I can hear them closing in. The village is... _I stare at where the village is... or at least, where it used to be. _It's... gone. Is this Keine's ability? _There's only an empty barren plain left.

"There he is! He's stopped!" A faint cry comes from behind.

_Can I take another injection? It's a bit risky... and I don't know if I'll survive this. Should I try to run for Myouren Temple instead? _I start jogging across the plain, but something wraps around my legs, making me trip. _Wooooah!_

I stumble, and quickly cut around my legs with Future Gazer. The thin band of shadow shrieks and flies off into the night. I have no idea what that youkai was, but it has managed to buy time for the rest of the youkai to close the gap between me and them.

_No choice but to do it. I'll feel really stupid if the love potion is the one injected instead. _I stab myself with Burst Needle, the point right over my heart. _Inject! _And then I depress the button.

Intense heat bursts throughout my body, rushing out from my heart to fill every single part of my body. I can feel my power and speed ramping up like crazy; this is beyond the mode that allowed me to beat Alice extremely easily.

Still, I don't really want to fight. _Worth a try. _"Stop!" I yell, "I don't want to fight you!"

"Give up and die!" One of them screeches in reply.

"You'll make a fine meal for us!"

I exhale, pulling power from Phantom Blossom. _How long was it when I had to fight with my life on the line? This isn't a one-on-one fight... this is just me being massacred by all of them._ _Youmu, Yuyuko, Eirin, Kaguya, Mokou, Reisen, Komachi, Alice... please lend me your strength._

The first one comes, a beast youkai with ears and a tail, loping towards me at high speed. Still, with Burst Needle's power running through me, it looks extremely slow. It leaps for me, claws outstretched. But before it can even land a scratch on me, I've already sliced it four times, once on each arm and twice through the body, leaving it to crash and tumble across the ground behind me.

"Stay down." I step on its wrist and fire needles into its limbs to lock its movements. "As for the rest of you..."

I dodge another attack and do the same to another four beast youkais, firing needles into their muscles as the tip of Burst Needle passes by their weak points in a flowing motion just like a bee flitting and weaving its way through falling petals, delivering venomous stings as it goes. _Oh wait, bees die after one sting. So maybe a hornet..._

"Don't get cocky!" This time, the attacker is a heavyset man aiming a punch at me. "Ungh!"

I look expressionlessly at the gasping youkai, folded over the pillar of rock I summoned from the ground with Eternal Inheritance. "I just want to live. To see... her."

_That's right. I came out here because of her. Her name... what was her name? _I grunt in pain as a blade slashes my arm. _Shouldn't get distracted... but... I came here for a purpose! _I retaliate, cutting down another tsukumogami. _Have to remember it!_

I use every single trick I have and come up with on the fly over the next few minutes, tripping them with wires, blinding them with flames, slamming them against each other with heavy impacts, even going so far as to summon rock pillars from the ground between their legs. Only direct strikes from the Keyblade can take them down; using stone missiles and pillars don't really have an effect on most of them. But even with the boost, I can't avoid every single attack, and each wound Blaze Revive heals takes longer to recover from than the last.

"Haa... Haa..." _There's no end to these guys. _I stumble backwards to avoid a swipe, but not fast enough to miss getting slashes across my chest. _Maybe I should have headed for Hakurei Shrine in the first place. _"Grrrrrr..." I growl in a poor attempt to intimidate them.

Then it comes to me. Her name. _Keine. Keine Kamishirasawa. I'm here, because I... love her. Probably more than any of the others._ Determination fills me with that thought; I'm not going to die until I see her and tell her my feelings.

"Danmaku!" An airborne youkai cries as a warning, making the ground-based ones disengage and retreat as the area gets showered with energy bullets.

The move takes me off guard, and I take scorching hits on my arms and legs, hampering my movement greatly. "Fuck!" I swear furiously, doing my best to block any more from hitting me. _Can't pull out Blaze Revive right now!_

Then something unexpected happens, making my situation even worse. The chill wind that has been blowing all night has just brought in thick clouds, which obscure the moon and blanket my sight with a heavy darkness. The large majority of the youkai aren't handicapped like I am, and they know it, suddenly raising a triumphant upcry.

_Damn. Well... _Cold calmness settles into my heart. _Guess this is the end of the line for-_

"Get in, quick!" I hear a familiar voice call out to me from behind.

_Get in where? _Risking a quick glance over my shoulder, I see the shadowy outline of the village gate. _But where's Keine? _I return my attention to in front of me and cut down yet another youkai that invaded the range of my thread radar. _Whatever, just get in there!_

I backpedal as fast as I can, but once again, something wraps around my legs and cause me to fall over. Before I can get back on my feet, something big and heavy hits me so fast I have no time to react even with the warning from my radar, sending me tumbling through the air.

"Guh! Ugh, gghhh... Ungh!" Like before, I crash and bounce across the ground.

As I lie where I landed panting and coughing where I stopped, I take a moment to check my body's condition. Everything hurts, which is to be expected, but nothing seems broken. The impact jarred my focus, so I can't set up the radar right away.

"Ikuto!" Someone grips the back of my collar. "Just a bit more!"

It doesn't even take me a second to make my decision. I'm in danger, someone is helping me, and there is an apparent safe point. So I crawl backwards the best I can, following the direction of the person who's pulling me along.

Then suddenly, the sound of the youkai cuts off, and the person releases me. I turn over onto my back and lie there in the dust, breathing heavily. In my hand, the Keyblade has reverted to its small form, without my energy to sustain it. Something tickles my face, but I don't bother brushing it away. I can tell that someone is leaning over me, and her nice-smelling hair is the one responsible for the sensation on the skin of my face.

"Ke-Keine?" I croak.

"Yes." She confirms, worry in her voice. "Why did you come, Ikuto?"

"I... I..."

A sudden break in the clouds sends a lance of moonlight down near the two of us. My breath catches in my throat when I see the unfamiliar twist of red eyes and long horns on familiar features, and instantly, I wish I hadn't reacted that way when I see Keine's expression turn sorrowful on noticing it. It hurts me deeply to see her pained like that, knowing that I wounded her with that small reaction.

She turns away, hiding her face from me. "I didn't want you to see me like this." I hear her whisper.

"Keine. Wait." I struggle into a sitting position, wincing from my scrapes and bruises. "Look at me. Please."

She hesitates for a while, but finally does so. I take a while to study her new appearance; long, upward-pointing white horns, one of which has a ribbon tied around it, bright red eyes that mark their owner as a nonhuman, and a dark green dress with what looks like a tail under it. It's Keine, yet she looks so different I only recognize her by her presence, her silver hair and the general shape of her clothes.

"I'm sure you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore." Keine says bitterly. "Since I'm a youkai after all."

I stare at her in disbelief. _Was she always this irrational? _"Did you..." I cough, pain stabbing my side. "Did you think I got close to you because you were human?" Brushing some hair away from my face, I notice the originally blank chip now has something filling it. _Can't make it out... later, I guess._

"But..." She ceases talking, her expression one of confusion.

_Is she realizing it only now? _"Keine..." I drag myself closer to her, doing my best to convey my emotions to those eyes. "You're extremely important to me. I would never, _never_, want to cut you off for any reason."

"Ikuto..."

"I've said this to the others quite a few times, but I'm still going to say it now." I place my hands on her shoulders, slowly drawing closer. "To you."

Her breathing stops, and I can see her lips part.

"I love you." _Yep, stupid romantic. That's me. _With that, I kiss her.

I keep it short, partially because of my injuries, but also because I'm still feeling unsure about her response. But when I see her dreamily happy expression, I realize that I didn't have to worry at all.

"That was..." Keine says quietly. "I..."

"Shh." I go in again, and this time she makes a sound akin to a purr when I do.

I don't remember how we got back to her place afterwards, but that's where I find myself, getting my wounds treated by Keine. I can use Blaze Revive to fix them right away... but right now, I'd rather let her spoil me. It's still a bit of a new experience to see her in her were-hakutaku form, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing.

"Hss!" I wince when she dabs antiseptic onto a particularly large cut.

"Sorry, did I-"

"No! No, it's not your fault." I rush to reassure her.

"Oh. Alright."

_Man, we're like young kids with a first-time crush. _"Er, Keine-" I start.

"Ikuto-" Keine starts at the same time.

"Uh, you first."

"No, you go first, Ikuto."

_Aaaaand... there's the proof. _"I... I'm... how do I put this... do you mind that I'm seeing other girls?"

"..." Keine doesn't reply, but the force in her touch increases.

"I see..." I say, though I don't. "I can't break it off with the other girls, you know."

"I know." She finishes up and puts away the first aid kit. "Which is why I will simply accept it."

"Thank you." I whisper hoarsely, and embrace her suddenly. _She's a wonderful girl._

"I-Ikuto!"

"You smell nice, Keine..." I mumble into her ear, stroking her hair. "Can I... can I touch those?"

"You're being childish again..." She sighs, and gives me her permission. "Yes, you can."

I sit back and reach upwards, lightly brushing her blushing cheeks with my fingers as they pass her face on the way to her horns. She holds still as I feel along the hard and smooth surface, but I can see her biting her lip.

I pull my hands back. "They're elegant."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"So... what did you want to say earlier?"

"What do you... like about me?" Keine asks while facing the floor.

"Lots of things. I've named them before, didn't I?" I lean in closer. "Want me to do so again?"

"P-p-please don't." Keine stutters.

_Oh good, because I'd feel as embarrassed as you look. _I glance at her desk, which is covered with even more documents compared to this morning. "Were you doing some work?" I change the subject.

"Oh no, I nearly forgot all about that!" She exclaims, and quickly moves over to the desk. "I only have tonight to do all this!"

_Ah, so she's making history? I'm kind of interested in seeing how she does it. _I move around behind her, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. _Ohhh~ This is interesting..._

Keine is reading a scroll extremely quickly, and as she does, the written characters glow red for a moment before reverting to their usual ink-originated selves. It's not as impressive as I imagined, but I'm sure there's something happening before my eyes which I'm not exactly aware of. Although in some ways, she reminds me a little of a bar code scanner reading lines of barcodes to build up data.

_I don't think I'll interrupt her work any further. Let's just watch for now. _With that, I settle in for a potentially long 'show'._ Looks like it'll be an all-nighter. I never thought I'd admit something like this, but I enjoy watching her work._

"I love you." I hear her murmur, taking me by surprise.

_Thought she was too focused... _"I love you too."

* * *

><p>"Mmm..." <em>Something smells nice... not in the food sense. <em>I open my eyes to see a field of white. _What?_

It takes a few blinks and a slow search of my memory before I recall what I'm looking at and the events leading up to my current situation. Last night, I interrupted Keine in the middle of her work to do it with her over and over again, due to an unexpected side effect of overusing Burst Needle manifesting. Of course, that's not to say it wasn't entirely bad... Anyway, right now I'm spooning up against Keine, and both of us are naked.

I listen to the sound of her breathing in her sleep. _Lovely... utterly lovely, _I think as I breathe in her scent deeply, _I'm so totally lucky to have a girl like her. _

"Mmm... Ikuto... you're quite energetic in the morning..." Keine mumbles.

_So she's awake already. _"It's just a natural reaction for males." I protest my innocence, but I don't move my arms from their position around her. "Well, it's not like I don't _want_ to..."

"Pervert." Her tone is joking as she gets up, pulling the covers off me to cover her nudity.

I notice her wince a little. "Keine, you okay?"

She places one hand over her lower body tenderly. "We did it so much last night, so it's a little sore."

"Your legs look fine, though." I reply, eyeing her limbs.

"Only barely." Keine's voice now tells me she's a little annoyed by that, even though I can't see her face. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me just to stand?"

I raise myself up on one elbow to look at the cloth framing her lithe figure, smirking appreciatively. _Man, I'm really a pervert like she said. But yeah, this view is just great. _My gaze flickers upwards to the top of her head. _The horns are gone... well, it's not like I'm loving her for those._

"Clothes... clothes..." Keine mutters as she looks through the dresser in the room.

I reach behind me and pick up the green dress she was wearing last night. "Yeah, I don't think you can use this even though we didn't-" Something falls out of it, landing on the futon with a 'thump' so quiet that Keine shouldn't have heard it.

We stare at it for a second, then both of us scramble for it. However, Keine's too far away to stop me from getting a good look before she clamps her hand around it. It's a good luck charm for love... I grin at a totally red Keine as she struggles to pull it free of my grip.

"Got it from the festival?" I ask, not giving up the crucial piece of evidence.

"...yes." Keine admits after a short silence.

"Feels like so long ago." I let go, allowing her to claim it back.

"...embarrassing." I catch her muttering.

"But isn't it great?" I continue, gently gripping her chin to position her head for a light kiss. "Your prayers were answered."

"Oh you." Keine shoves me lightly. "Let's go clean ourselves up and get dressed. The students will be here soon."

"Oh, right." I get up quickly. "But before that-"

We embrace each other and exchange a loving kiss filled with intense emotion. Keine breaks it first to gaze into my eyes with an expression of heavenly bliss. "Love you, Ikuto."

"Me too." I follow up with a line from one of my favorite series. "Now... and forever."

"Okay... now we really have to get going." Her tone turns brisk.

"Haha, yeah. Let's go."

As I go through the routine of washing up and getting dressed, I take the time to check my body and energy. As always, Eirin's medicines were effective in closing the wounds; all the roughhousing last night didn't even reopen a single one. But it drained my energy quite a bit, though less than expected, as I feel somewhere around the level of after two rounds of the Eientei obstacle course. My stamina must be really good... or doing it with Keine is just that refreshing. Whatever the case, I don't have the time to think it through deeply.

Even rushing, we barely make it before the last student arrives. I was intending to leave her to her teaching, but the kids catch sight of me and drag me into the class... so they can grill their teacher on her relationship with me.

"We're, uhh..." I look to Keine for help. _Tell them?_

She twitches her head side to side almost imperceptibly, blushing lightly. _No. Not yet..._

"...very good friends."

"Eh, don't believe you!" One kid cries out.

"Yeah, yeah!" Other children take up the cry.

No matter how much I or Keine try to bluff, none of the children believe us. In the end, rescue comes in the form of Tenshi, who's peeping through the window rather obviously.

"Yo." I wave.

The Celestial looks from left to right, then points at herself.

_Guess she's not used to being the center of attention? _I nod, then turn to face Keine. "Looks like I have something to do. See you tonight?"

She smiles at me worriedly. "Of course. But will you be okay with those wounds?"

Nodding, I head out of the classroom. "Yeah, I will. Thanks for worrying about me."

Keine claps loudly behind me, instilling order among the children. "Alright! Everyone, to your seats!"

I beckon to Tenshi as I pass the threshold of the house. She follows me hesitantly as I limp through the village, the wounds I sustained last night coming back to bother me. _Can't use Blaze Revive to heal myself in the middle of the village. Maybe I'll head over to Reimu's shrine._

"Hey." I ignore it at first. "Hey!"

"What?" I ask without turning.

"Where are you going?" Tenshi demands.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I'm asking, that's why!" Her voice sounds closer now.

_Heh, it's always fun to make fun of her. _I turn around and flick her in the forehead. "Calm down a little, why don't ya? How did you find me anyway?"

"Ow!" The girl rubs her forehead, looking at me with an annoyed expression. "The people at the bamboo grove said you were at the school. How do you tell which one is the school? I went around so many places before I finally found you."

"Coming this early, you must be really bored."

"Yeah, you bet I'm bored! What are we going to do today?"

_We?_ _Man, this girl sure is pushy. Might have made more friends back in my world if I was like her... maybe. _"For now, let's go to the shrine."

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" She pulls a fairly large keystone out of nowhere, setting it to float between us. "Get on then."

I eye the stone a bit suspiciously. "Where do I hold onto? I'm not riding something that I might fall off."

"You won't." Tenshi insists. "You'll be perfectly fine."

_Somehow it sounds like she's making that judgment based on a Celestial's toughness. Oh well, whatever. _I hop onto the stone and sit cross-legged in the center. "Let's go, then."

"Just you watch, you'll be perfectly safe with me!" She hops onto a keystone of her own, and we're off.

It's quite a pleasant journey; the stone accelerates just enough to create a gentle push, and the speed a mildly comfortable winter wind that carries a hint of the warmth of the morning sun, totally different from Marisa's broom. As we travel, I think back to last night, when I took Keine in my arms. That, and the very important thing I said to her halfway through; I meant every word of it back then... and even now... I lift up my wrist and look at the chip that links me to Keine. I hadn't noticed before, but it now has a mark of the silhouette of Keine's hat. Besides that, I also notice something else.

_The chain... it's nearly complete. _I finger the only part of the thing that is actually a chain. _Barely enough to fit a tenth chip. What happens if I do? And who should I... _I shake my head hard to rid it of that thought. _Not while I'm with Keine. Even if I'm a harem-keeping horndog, there's some things I can't cross. Anyway... _I look over the side and shudder unintentionally. There is something strange about this whole journey...

I realize what it is halfway through. "Um, Tenshi?"

She doesn't hear me. Clearly the wind is too strong for my usual volume to reach her. I try again, this time at a moderate level of loudness, and it succeeds; the blue-haired girl turns to me with a curious look.

"What?"

"I meant Hakurei Shrine. Not the Moriya shrine." I jerk my thumb behind me as I look at Tenshi's expression of surprise framed by Youkai Mountain behind her.

The keystone slow to a halt in midair. "Why didn't you say so?" She demands.

I blink, trying not to give into the temptation to look down. "Well, among humans and non-mountain youkai, mentioning a shrine means Hakurei Shrine. I suppose among tengu and other youkai that live on the mountain, it must mean the Moriya Shrine."

"I don't get what you said." Tenshi complains, her foot tapping on the stone impatiently.

"Let's put it this way." I draw in a huge breath. "WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!" I yell loud enough to startle birds from the trees below us, as well as hurt my throat a little.

"I know that!" Chastened, the Celestial shifts her sword in the keystone and executes an about-turn. "Why didn't you just..." She starts muttering complaints.

Her muttering doesn't stop until we come down to land in front of the shrine, where Reimu is sweeping. _This is the first time I'm seeing her do that. Guess she does it only in the morning? _I consider that possibility as I hop down from the keystone and approach her with a wave.

"Morning, Reimu."

The shrine maiden stops sweeping. "Good morning to you, Ikuto." She tilts her head curiously, an odd expression crossing her face when she looks at Tenshi. "You sure came with a strange companion. What brings you here so early?"

_Good question. _Why_ did I come here? It's not like I came here because I wanted to see Reimu... oh. _I remember the other person present. "Thought I'd like to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Hey, don't just ignore me!" Tenshi interrupts, but all we do is spare her a glance.

"I got this bored girl asking me for things to do. What would you suggest?"

Reimu nods sagely, knowing who I'm referring to. "I see. How about... sending her on an errand?" She suggests.

The idea starts forming in my head almost immediately. I grin and pat Reimu on the shoulder as I walk past and toss a donation into her box. "Thanks. Is Suika here?"

"She's in the back, but I don't think she'll wake up before lunch." Reimu suddenly grabs the back of my shirt. "Ikuto, what's wrong with you?"

"Huh?" _Oh, she must have noticed my injuries. _"Just a little run-in with some youkai last night."

Her grip relaxes a little. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'll recover quite fast." I pull free and head for the back of the shrine.

"What about me?" Tenshi calls.

"Just wait first!" I call back.

Once I'm past the corner, I use Blaze Revive to take care of my wounds, and remove the bandages from beneath my clothes. As expected, a night's 'rest' renewed my ability to use it, with no negative effects on its recovery ability. But it also reminds me of the last vacancy on the chain... especially when I enter the place and see Suika sprawled on her back snoring.

_I always liked Suika. But... _A stab of guilt reminds me that I already have Keine... _oh well... I'll just forget about that for now._ Leaving that issue aside, I prod Suika's cheek a few times. "Suika, wake up."

"Mmya~ is it time to eat yet?" The oni asks drowsily without opening her eyes.

"Celestial peaches." The words just pop out of my mouth without my realizing it.

Suika sits upright in a flash. "Where?"

"...is what I'd like to try."

"Oh, it's just you, Ikuto." She scratches her head. "Hello. I'm going back to sleep."

I grab her arm before she flops back down again. "Wait wait wait. Hear me out first, Suika."

"Mm? What is it?"

"Tenshi is here asking me on what to do for fun. I was thinking maybe we could have a party?"

The magic word 'party' grabs Suika's undivided attention. "Yeah! Let's!" She volunteers eagerly.

_Knew that would get her. _"We need some preparations then. Here's a suggestion..."

I lean in close and start whispering my idea to Suika, who nods approvingly as I lay it out for her. Before I'm even finished, she throws her arms around my neck gleefully, giving a loud prediction on what a bash it would be. With that settled, the two of us head out to meet up with Tenshi and Reimu.

"We're having a party!"

"No." Reimu shoots it down immediately.

"Aww, come on~ Reimu~" Suika whines.

"No means no. I'm always the one stuck doing the cleanup."

"Ikuto, do something, will you?" The oni begs me piteously.

_Guess I have to use it. _"Please, Reimu."

"N-" She starts to refuse, but I cut her off.

"Before you say no, may I remind you of the bet we had a few days back?" _That got her attention._

Reimu glares at me as Suika grins widely from the side. "That wasn't a fair bet. And you know it."

"But you agreed to it." I counter.

"No, that was a unfair bet and I'm not going to accept it."

_Stubborn. _"How about this, we have the party, and I promise I'll help you clean up afterwards."

"You think I'm going to give in to something like-"

"If not, I'll stop donating." _Low blow! _I smirk inside when I see her freeze.

"That's playing dirty, Ikuto." The shrine maiden glares.

"It's quite a big deal, you know." I protest. "You won't owe me a favor anymore, and you won't be losing anything."

She eyes me suspiciously, but finally gives in with a sigh. "Alright. When do you want it?"

"How about in a week?" I speak over Suika's happy celebration, plunging the surroundings into sudden silence.

"A week That's rather far away, isn't it?"

"Too far!" Suika doesn't like it... or at least, she fakes it well.

Tenshi remains silent, watching me closely.

"I have stuff to take care of, and some things need careful preparing." I wink at Suika.

"Like what?" Reimu demands.

"Sake!" Suika hops up and down with her arms raised into the air. "I want to have sake from the underground!"

"Surely you don't expect me to go-" The irate shrine maiden breaks off when she sees me shaking my head.

"We have someone else who's looking for some excitement." I walk over to Tenshi to pat her on her shoulder. "How about it? Feel like going to Hell to bring back some sake?"

"Eh, me?" As expected, she's surprised to be included so suddenly.

Reimu's surprised as well. "Her?"

"It'll be interesting." _For me as well._

It takes a few moments before she recovers. "Heh, guess that's a job only a Celestial can do! Fine, I'll go and come back right away! Urk!"

The last sound comes from me grabbing her by the back of her collar before she can go off. "Not today, we won't have enough time."

Tenshi rubs her sore neck. "What do you mean, we?"

"I'm coming along. But since I'm going to be busy for a few days, we'll only go three days later."

"I might as well go myself..." Reimu mutters, but Suika nudges her with an elbow to make her shut up.

"You understand, Tenshi?" I grip her shoulder tightly; it won't hurt, but it'll convey my seriousness. "We'll meet back here early in the morning in three days."

"...fine." She goes along with me.

I look at Reimu. "Who should we invite?"

"Well..."

It takes a while before we settle the guest list, with Tenshi leaving halfway because she's not doing anything much. We're inviting most of the people I've met before, though not all of them will come. How do I know? Call it a hunch...

"Would you like to stay for lunch, Ikuto?"

_Holy... Reimu actually asking me to stay for lunch? Does she have a fever? Is the border going to break? Is the world going to end? _I keep that reaction hidden inside and accept graciously. _But still... using up Reimu's favor right now... it's a bit reckless, but that's just me._

Her food turns out to be pretty good. Guess living in poverty means you have to develop skills to counterbalance it. I could use lessons from her next time; an expansion of my current menu wouldn't hurt, plus I'm a little tired of the one I have currently. I'll ask next time.

* * *

><p>"How did it go, Ikuto?" Eirin asks as she walks alongside me in the Bamboo Forest.<p>

"I think the only word for it is 'perfect'." Grinning, I sling an arm around her shoulders and hug the woman close.

"Good to hear that." Eirin puts an arm around my waist. "So... how about _that_?"

"Not tonight. I have dinner with Mokou and Keine together." I explain regretfully.

"Next time, then." She looks like she's really looking forward to that.

"By the way, thanks for coming all the way out here with me."

"I don't stay in my pharmacy all day long, Ikuto." Eirin tells me amusedly. "I do take walks sometimes."

"Lucky me then, to catch you at this right time." I spot the flash of white up ahead. "Looks like she's right there."

EIrin sees her too. "Yes. I'll be leaving now, Ikuto. Don't forget to come visit Eientei soon."

"Of course." I give her cheek a chaste kiss and untangle myself from her. "Since I'm living in the village now, I'll be coming over quite often, actually."

After having lunch at Reimu's place, I went to Eientei to help Reisen restock the consignment boxes around the village, which took the better part of an afternoon. Following that, I left Eientei together with Eirin on my way to find Mokou so as to bring her over to Keine's place for dinner. All in all, a rather uneventful day to let me recover from last night's exertions.

"Evening, Mokou." I call out as I step out into the clearing.

She turns in my direction, her eyes searching among the trees until they land on me. "Ikuto?"

Walking closer, I remind her, "We're having dinner with Keine, remember?"

"Already? It's still a bit early, isn't it?" Mokou checks the sky.

"Just finding you early because it gets dark fast now that winter's here." I extend my hand to her. "C'mon. Let's go, shall we?"

Really, it seems like Mokou places great importance on interacting with me... though I'm sure Keine and Kaguya make that list too. As we walk back to the village hand in hand, we start talking about the general youkai around the area. Needless to say, the immortal girl shifts into youkai killer mode when I tell her about last night's battle.

"I'm going to go and burn every single one of them!"

"Hell no." I stop her from running off by picking her up in the princess carry. _This is so definitely gonna work._

As expected, she turns red immediately. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?"

"Woo~woo~" Aya drops out of the sky to float before us, happily snapping pictures.

"Ah, hey! Stop that!" Mokou starts struggling, making me stumble a little. "Ikuto, put me down!"

"Okay." I drop her legs to the ground, and she instantly charges for Aya.

"Give me that camera!"

Aya dodges. "Ayaya, but this is my scoop! Wahahahaha..." Her voice fades into the distance as she flies off.

"Don't bother chasing, Mokou." I tell my partner in victimhood tiredly.

"But-" Mokou seems torn between following and doing as I say.

"She's long gone by now, anyway." I snatch a fluttering piece of paper out of midair and read it.

_Sorry I couldn't talk, Ikuto. But I'm really busy now that my newspaper is in the final selection for the winner of the contest. Have to find more scoops to write great articles, right? Thanks for providing me with one. Talk to you some other time. Aya._

I crumple up the note and deposit it inside my pocket, shrugging. "We all have our own problems and issues. Come on, Keine's class should have ended, so let's hurry."

"Okay..."

She finally remembers to bring that issue up just as we're passing through the village. "Ikuto." Mokou interrupts in the middle of a discussion of Alice.

"Yes?"

"How were things between you and Keine last night?"

"Great." I answer instantly. "Really great."

Mokou looks down at the ground as we continue walking. "That's... good to hear."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to give you up or anything." _Huh... okay, that gives me a good idea for _her _when I see that girl_.

"Wh-who's worried about that? I'm not!" She denies it, of course.

But I've lived with her long enough to tell that she really was worried about her relationship with me. But before we can discuss that matter further, we reach Keine's school. The two of us enter and take off our shoes, and head for the kitchen, which is the source of some busy sounds.

"Keine, I'm back. And I brought Mokou along." I announce as I slide open the door to where she's just started on making dinner

Keine turns her head to smile at us, though her hands don't stop cutting up ingredients. "Dinner's not yet ready, so just wait, please."

"Let us help, then." Mokou offers, surprising us.

"Thank you, Mokou. Could you please stir that pot over there?"

As we all work together to cook dinner for a party of three, I take the chance to talk to Keine. She's pleased to see me again, even though we only just saw each other this morning. The topic then shifts to our mutual friend and one of my other lovers. Keine confesses that she felt a bit threatened when she saw me enter together with the immortal, but hastily reassures me that it wasn't really much of an issue.

_God, I love that girl. _I smile to myself as I glance over my shoulder at the two close friends chatting over a pot of stew. _And her friend too, of course._

"Let's eat!"

"Thanks for the food."

"Oh yeah, we're having a party at Reimu's shrine next week. Are both of you free?"

"I should be..." Mokou says doubtfully, but Keine is already shaking her head.

"I have classes to teach, plus some extra lessons for the poorer students then. Who else will be there?"

I start counting off my fingers. "Let's see... Suika, Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Aya... and I forgot the rest. But there's definitely ten at least."

"Well, maybe I might be able to make it..."

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see. This food is great, Keine."

"Thank you. Mokou, have some of this too."

"Thanks."

And that's how the first day of winter draws to a close... with a warm dinner next to a warm fire. Small pleasures, yeah, small pleasures.

* * *

><p>(1) An artifact spirit. In Japanese folklore, items usually 'ascend' after existing for a hundred ears. You see musical instruments, lamps, etc.<p>

(2) A Japanese youkai that is a weasel carrying a sickel, and very fast like the wind.

Well, this chapter sure took a long time to write, thanks to my attachment job and a project I had to do cutting my free time to all-time low quantities, plus I'm losing steam lately.

The writing is a bit different, but surely you can guess what takes place between the scene changes. This is probably due to me writing this chapter in different moods on different days, so it's hard to sustain the flow.

Komachi's Keyblade's name might not adequately indicate her playful self, but it does a good job of indicating her occupation. Payment to the reaper grants you a shorter journey across the Sanzu River.

Keine is just so sexy and lovable... with potential for furry once a month. Iku Hisashiku_, _some of you should know what series that line came from. Also, I bet some of you are already wondering what her Keyblade can do... well, just wait and see.

So Reimu's favor has been used up, leaving only Suika's and Marisa's... what will they be used for, I wonder...

Next chapter will be another X chapter to elaborate on what happened during the scene changes, such as what was the important thing Ikuto said to Keine. I'd like to say 'look forward to it', but it might be tough.


	27. Chapter 26X: Lust Amid Flames

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	28. Chapter 27: What Is Unrecordable

**During their first night together, Ikuto impulsively proposes to Keine, feeling more intensely about her than he ever has with the other girls. Still, he knows he has to break the news to the other girls...**

* * *

><p>"I'm home..." I call tiredly as I slide the door open.<p>

"Welcome back." Keine's voice echoes down through the hallway faintly. "How did it go?"

I grimace, recalling the total discomfort of facing both Youmu and Reisen at the same time. _Well, it did save me the trouble of facing Youmu at a different time... but still... the pressure was enough to kill... women's intuition is not just scary, it's _horrifyingly_ accurate. Youmu just showed up with that yandere-like expression on her face..._

How did I explain to Youmu and Reisen that I proposed to Keine when I refused to marry them? Well... first I did all I could to prepare them for it by apologizing in advance, hard though it was with the intense glares they were giving me. But when I actually dropped the bombshell... Reisen pulled out an actual, _freaking_, rifle! And she managed to do it before Youmu's swords cleared their sheaths. An impressive display of speed, except the situation did not call for me to be impressed. So I did what seemed best at that time...

"So, how did it go?" Keine enquires, coming out into the hallway wiping her hands on a towel.

"See for yourself." I tug my collar down to show her all the hickeys. _I'm lucky they didn't ask for more than just making out, but I owe them a date each._

Her eyes widen. "Th-that's... pfft!" She covers her mouth with one hand.

"Keine? Are you... are you _laughing_?" I ask incredulously.

Keine loses control and lets it leak. "Pff... hahahaha!"

_Yep, she is. _I turn and knock my head against the wall hard. "You know... most wives would ask for a divorce on finding out about their husbands' infidelity."

She calms down and smiles. "We aren't most couples, Ikuto." She reminds me.

"Still..." I give up and walk past her, pulling the clean-looking towel from her grasp and using it to wipe off my sweat. "I guess I really should feel lucky that every single girl I know so far is... accepting." _Or should I say, possible to bribe into submission? Okay... maybe that description sounds a bit demeaning to them, but right now, my mind is too tired to come up with another._

She follows next to me. "What else did you do today?"

"Side jobs to raise money. I think I might stick to the carpenter's one." _Kind of like the smell and the work there. Who knew that cutting wood would capture my interest so much? _"Though right now I'm doing nothing but deliveries."

"You don't have to force yourself to work, you know."

I turn my head to smile at her. "I like to be responsible for the one -_ones_- I love." _Yeah, that emotion really changes me..._

"Anyway," Her tone turns brisk, "Will you be eating dinner first? Or would you rather take a bath?"

"I'll just wash up a bit first. I'd like to eat, but doing so with all the dried sweat on me isn't my way. We can always go in together later."

"Ikuto!" Keine gives me a light push.

"What?" I ask innocently. "Can't I take a bath with my wife? My _beloved_ wife?"

She sighs, giving me a look of amused exasperation. "You're hopeless..."

It's only been two days so far, but the mood between us is already like this, as if we'd been married for years. I pay more attention to her than I ever have before... probably that 'I could look at you forever' thing I hear about sometimes. Likewise, she always seems to know when I'm around... every single time I stopped by the school today to watch her teach the children, Keine always met my eyes with a loving smile... which means that the children already know. Which means that their parents will know. Which means rumors will spread. Which means...

"Hihi~! Can I trouble the two of you for an interview?" As if to taunt me, fate proves my wild imagination right by having Aya show up at that moment, barging through the door behind us with journalist's tools at the ready.

"Shameimaru-san, please do not enter my residence without knocking." Keine reprimands firmly, her hands clasped in front of her, every bit the stern teacher.

_You're talking to one of the three common intruders who won't listen. The first will spy on you, the second will take your stuff, and the third... will interview you._

Sure enough, Aya isn't fazed. "Oh come on, just a short one?" She pleads.

The two of us exchange glances. "You know..."

Keine sighs once more. "You're too kind, Ikuto."

Minutes later, we're seated at the dinner table, digging into a delicious meal cooked by Keine. The shameless presence of Aya with us raises eyebrows with Keine, but I'm already used to it.

"Okay..." The tengu asks in the middle of munching. "So, who confessed first?"

"I did." I reply instantly, becoming the center of attention right away.

"Ikuto!" Keine protests, but I cover her hand with mine.

"One moment..." Aya digs out her notebook with one hand, then switches her chopsticks over to the other hand so she can write. "Umm... then... how far have you gotten?"

This time, I look at Keine for permission. She repeats that imperceptible head shaking, though her mouth is curved into a slight smile. _So, she wants me to conceal most of it. _"Well, we've kissed. That's the farthest." I lie. _Well... we were doing lots of it yesterday... lots and lots and lots and lots... since somebody was feeling a bit sore..._

"Hmm... nothing else?" Aya seems to suspect, but she has no way of knowing.

"Nothing else." My wife insists, despite her intense blush. "And choose whether to eat or write, not both."

"Okay, okay." Aya sacrifices writing for her meal, eating as though she hasn't had anything since yesterday.

I decide to ask to confirm it. "Aya, when was the last time you ate?"

"Mm? I dunno, maybe two days ago?" She replies distantly.

_Geh, worse than I thought. _"Anyway, finish your food first, then we'll talk."

Minutes later, Keine takes her seat next to me after pouring a cup of tea for Gensokyo's fastest reporter. "How is your search for interesting events going, Shameimaru-san?"

Aya takes a sip and sets down the cup. "Nothing interesting so far... which is why-" She leans forward with her pen raised and ready. "I'm counting on you two to give me something good for the readers of the Bunbunmaru!"

Keine and I exchange glances. "It's hard to say that our relationship is scoop-worthy, Aya." I speak for the both of us.

"Come on, there has to be something..." She thinks for a while. "Come on, some details, please? Like what do you like about each other... the sort of stuff you-"

"That's private." Keine interrupts firmly. "I'm sorry, Shameimaru-san, but I refuse to assist you if you're prying into my personal matters."

_Woah, that's a bit intimidating, even though I'm not the target of that. _I wisely keep silent and offer Aya my sympathies. _But still..._

Eventually, even her persistent stubborn character can perceive that there's no scoop to be found. "Well, thanks for treating me to food." Aya bows slightly and turns to leave,

"Aya, wait." I stop her.

Beside me, Keine gives me a look. _What are you planning?_

_It's okay. _"Let's talk outside."

"So," The tengu asks interestedly once we're out in the cold winter night, "What is it you've got for me?"

"Ever tried live reporting?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know the Celestial, right?" I ask, and she nods. "She's going to go down to the underground."

"Tengus don't do underground. Too cramped." Aya starts shaking her head.

"No, no, no. You're misunderstanding me." I say, waving my hand dismissively. "What's going to happen is that she's going to go down there, and bring one of Reimu's yin-yang balls with her so we can see what she's up to."

"And...?"

_I guess it's still a new concept for her? _"I'm asking you to act like a commentator for anyone else who's interested in watching. Knowing her, she's going to provide lots of interesting material to write an article with."

"Hmmm..." Aya makes a drawn-out hum of interest in her throat. "That actually sounds attractive to me. When is it?"

"It's in two days. So what do you say?" I grin at her.

A similar grin stretches her mouth. "You got yourself a deal, Ikuto."

_Heh, yet another fist bump._

When I go back in, Keine is still there waiting. "What did you talk to her about? I hope you didn't-"

I sweep her off her feet and into a deep kiss. "Definitely not." I reassure her softly. "This kind of stuff stays between us and us only."

"Good. Kiss me again." She orders, and I comply right away.

As we make our way to her-, _our_ bedroom, I briefly explain what I said to Aya, and tell her about my plan to help the tengu write an interesting article. As expected, she sighs, smiling about my attempt to play the helpful guy yet again. But I didn't expect her to chastise me for it as well.

"I know you want to help, but is it really worth risking your life going down underground?" She says as she kneels down on the futon.

"Oh come on, I'm not in _that_ much danger." I say in defense as I join her on it.

"That's not the point here. Why do you always endanger your life like that?"

"Keine, I'll be fine. I _promise._"

"Ikuto, you don't understand." The frustration is evident in her voice.

_What exactly don't I understand? _I frown at her. "I don't get it, why are you-" I suddenly stop as I realize. "Oh."

"Oh." Keine repeats, her temper rising a little. "_Oh_. _Now_ you understand?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just..." I struggle for the right thing to say. "I'm an idiot."

Her expression softens. "You silly idiot..." She tells me softly, squeezing my hand.

_So early into our relationship and I'm already taking her for granted. I'm trying to change that... _I sigh. _But guess it's going to take some work. That's our first 'fight', I suppose. _"You know..."

"Yes?" Keine smiles questioningly.

"What exactly is it you like about me?" I blurt out. "I mean," I continue, floundering as I do, "I know it sounds stupid asking this, but..."

"Well... you're kind, for one. You care deeply for all the girls you're with." She pokes me, blushing. "And you have this confidence that I find really attractive."

"I wasn't always like that in my world. And also now..." _When I feel so unsure about myself I need to ask about this. _"I'm also not a very fun person to be around, I know."

"Nonsense, you're not boring at all. And don't worry, you're still cute when you're like that."

_Not very reassuring. _I grin and push her down onto the futon. "Anything else?"

"Well, you make me feel warm inside when you-"

"Do ...?" I whisper my guess into her ear, turning her even redder.

"Ikuto, you pervert!" She tries to shove me off her, but the position is too disadvantageous for her.

"Oh come on, admit it." I tease.

"Really, you... yes, that's one of them..." She looks away bashfully.

"And the other is when I hold you close and say ..." I whisper it again.

Keine smiles and nods. "Now, how about doing the former as well?" She invites.

"Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

><p><em>"For some reason, it feels like I am not welcome here today." Iku murmurs to me.<em>

_"Yeah... there's a reason for that..." I reply without taking my eyes off the glowering Komachi._

_"Please tell me, if you would."_

_"Well..." _How can I tell the stoic girl next to me that I had sex with the other girl present? _"We played a two-player game... and I think Komachi wanted to play it again."_

_"Then why do you not just do so?" Iku wants to know._

Way to corner myself. _"Apparently she's not comfortable with an audience..." I throw out._

_"I see... a two-player game... and it is not audience-friendly..."_

_"Can we change the subject?" Komachi interrupts brusquely. "Isn't there something else we can do?"_

_"Well, that reminds me... there's going to be a party at the Hakurei Shrine in six days. You girls interested in coming?"_

_"A party? Count me in!" The shinigami shows interest._

_"It certainly sounds interesting. Please tell me more."_

_"Well, _she's_ been bugging me about fun stuff, so I suggested having a party." I don't have to explain who I'm referring to._

_"Is the Eldest daughter being a bother?"_

_Grinning, I shake my head. "She's making my creative juices flow."_

_"I'd like to see some _other_ juices flow." Komachi mutters._

_"Excuse me?" Iku, who overheard, is puzzled._

_"It's nothing!" I quickly cover it up. "Anyway, there's a pre-party, if you're interested."_

_"What, what?" Once again, Komachi is hooked._

_"She's going to go to the underground for some sake for the party... and there's going to be an audience for that."_

_Both of them are smirking now. The Celestial girl is total troll fuel, ultra grade S material to be made fun of, and with all our talks and stuff together, all three of us have gained a healthy amount of 'I want to see her get pranked', so needless to say, we're all imagining what exactly might happen on that subterranean journey._

_"I've never actually interacted with the underground youkai."_

_"It is the same for me, for obvious reasons."_

_"Me three. Guess we'll be finding out along with Tenshi in two days."_

_There's a brief moment of silence, but unlike earlier, the atmosphere is filled with general anticipation. Then Komachi goes and spoils it by sitting back with one leg tucked up with its foot on the floor, giving a brief panty flash while she tugs at her front to reveal even more skin. I rest my eyes on her a bit longer than I should, and Iku notices._

_"A teasing mood, a hint of a game that is played beneath the notice of the unrelated." She murmurs dryly._

Shit, she totally knows. _"You know, I don't understand what you mean with those comments sometimes." I remark, feigning innocence._

_"Would you care to venture a guess?" Iku replies, her tone sly._

I GOT to stop cornering myself like this. _"Can I pass on that?"_

_No such luck for me, though. "I am eager to hear your thoughts."_

_Komachi picks that moment to join in. "Yeah, I want to hear it too!"_

_"Backstabber." I mutter under my breath. "Anyway, my short term memory is bad, so I can't recall what you said-"_

_Iku repeats her line, smiling slightly as she cuts off that route of escape. The shinigami picks that moment to flash her panties at me, making me facepalm._

_"Okay... I'm assuming that you're referring to us... so..." I anyhow invent, "Somebody is sending hidden signals to another person, hoping that the third doesn't notice."_

_"And who might this third person be, pray tell?"_

_I curse inwardly. _It seems like a majority of the girls here have a sadistic side... even one like Iku. _Seeing Komachi expose even more cleavage, I decide to have my revenge on both of them. _

_"Well, I assume that the one sending the signals is..." I crawl on my hands and knees to where Iku is. "You, expecting me to respond to your provoking."_

_She raises one eyebrow in puzzlement, but before she realizes it, I quickly tip her over onto her side and jerk her skirt up. Unexpectedly, she's wearing lacy red underneath her stockings, which stuns both me and Komachi with the sight of its unreal existence._

_"Umm..." I gape, my hand still holding her skirt._

_"I believe the appropriate action would be to let go." Iku tells me coolly._

_"Oh yeah..." I do as she advised, and she covers her legs properly._

_"Red... never expected that of Iku." Komachi comments_

_"Wait, you serious? Look at her clothes!" I point at Iku... and my finger presses into her chest._

Welcome back, my streak of bad luck. _Once again, all three of us freeze. As my mind struggles to comprehend the sudden follow up of this event after the previous one... my body automatically moves... poking deeper into Iku's breast and making her gasp._

_"Ikuto, you perv." Komachi hits me with a scathing accusation._

_I withdraw my finger as though it was scalded. "Wha- oh come on, that was an accident!" I protest lamely._

_Both of them look at me as though I just told the worst lie in the entire existence of reality... which is what it feels like to me. I throw up my hands in disgust and lay back on the floor in mock surrender._

_"An uncomfortable silence, but silence does not always mean disapproval." I hear Iku murmur so softly that I doubt Komachi must have heard it._

Uhh... what does that mean? _"Hmph." I grunt as a response._

_When the pull comes, I embrace it gratefully. There are some things that you can't handle right away; they may need a step back and time off first. But right now, it's clear that the nature of our relationship is changing... should I have refused Komachi's offer to be sex friends?_

* * *

><p>Tomorrow's the day I finally go underground, to where Okuu, Orin and their mistress are. The sudden thought of it reminds me of my fickle memory, so I grab a brush and some paper to write down the stuff I want to do. At the top of the list is getting sake from the underground, followed by witnessing the antics of Tenshi... but there are a few other things, such as meeting the rest of the underground gang, exploring the underworld... and certain others.<p>

"Let's see... I need to prepare for the trip." _No training today, I need to rest up in case anything happens tomorrow. _I leave the gravity belt off today_. _"Some fire-making materials, maybe? Sake for Suika's friend-" My eyes widen. "Suika! I have to ask her for help. Ah, invitations too! Damn, there's so much to do!"

This is really one of those times when it would be nice if I had the ability to fly like all the girls here. But those are the cards I'm dealt, so I have no choice but to just live with it. Keine's already in the middle of class, but I've already said goodbye in advance. I pick up the lunchbox she made for me and put it in my pack, and start stretching for the running I'm going to be doing today.

_Ready... GO! _I walk out of the room, don my shoes, open the door and step out, sliding it shut as quiet as I can manage. _Okay... now it's really GO! Can't bother Keine with the noise I make. _I think as I break into a jog, then accelerating a little. _First stop, Hakurei Shrine!_

"Oh, Ikuto, good morning." Reimu greets me when I come huffing and puffing up the stairs. "What's with you today?"

"Just trying to keep within the time limit." I reply. "Never mind." I wave my hand dismissively when I see she doesn't understand. "Is Suika around?"

She indicates the back of the shrine. "You won't get her up at this time. You of all people should know by now."

"Worth a try." I follow her directions to find the sleeping drunk.

I poke her cheek in an attempt to wake her up, but she just turns her head and nibbles on my finger. Sighing, I retrieve my marked digit and pick up her light body, arranging it on my back so that I'm carrying her. Hearing a cough, I look up to see Reimu looking down at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Well, this way I can talk to her when she's awake, right? Besides," I grin. "A human kidnapping an oni would be a first."

That makes her smile. "You have a funny sense of humor, Ikuto. Whatever you intend on doing, please stay safe."

"Thanks for letting us have the party at your place." I stand up with Suika's light snoring in my ear. "I'll be going around passing out invitations today."

"Well, good luck on that."

_Did I miss something when I blinked? How did she suddenly take a seat with a tea cup? _Whatever the case, I take my leave of Reimu and head down the stairs. Suika's head bounces up and down on my shoulder, but she doesn't wake at all. _Sleepyhead, but she's still cute._

First up is Eientei. I didn't pass my invitation to them yesterday because I got... sidetracked, but I'll do it today for sure.

"And so, would you all be able to make it?" I ask the gathered members.

"I'm not sure... there's been more patients coming by lately..." Eirin has one hand on her face as she ponders, a habit I enjoy watching. "I can spare Reisen."

"I want to go too -usa!"

"And Tewi as well."

"Just one thing, Ikuto." The lunar rabbit breaks in, "You aren't serving any rabbit meat, are you?"

"Guess I better check with Reimu. Don't worry, I won't eat that." _Not when I have a rabbit youkai as a girlfriend._ "Eirin? Kaguya?"

"I'm sorry, Ikuto, but that day is when I and Mokou will settle our score once and for all." Kaguya's gaze is serene, like a princess -duh- ready to commit suicide to preserve her purity.

"Wait, are you two killing each other again?" I demand. _And I thought Mokou said she might be free... guess I'll check in with her later._

"She means her game, Ikuto." Eirin explains tiredly.

"Oh. Don't say it in such a tone, will you? You nearly scared my life out of me. Eirin?"

"I can't tell just yet, Ikuto." She shrugs. "But maybe if you were to convince me..." She continues, throwing me a meaningful look.

"Master!" Reisen objects.

"My~ Eirin has really changed, hasn't she?"

"You said it -usa."

My answer? "I'll... think about it."

So that settles it; Tewi and Reisen, possibly Eirin as well. The funny thing is, throughout the entire discussion, nobody mentions the dozing oni I'm carrying on my back. Is there some 'let sleeping onis lie' sort of saying in Gensokyo? Anyway, on to my next destination... finding Marisa. But first...

I only wait for a few minutes before she shows up. "Got it?"

"You bet!" She digs into a pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. "Here -usa."

I hand over an ice pick and some carrots. "Pleasure doing business with you. Happy digging." _Sorry about this, Reisen. I'll make it up to you. _"Glad to see you're not letting the cold weather stop you."

Tewi snorts. "Weather? Try a broken pick."

"Sorry, skipping thought processes there. You coming for tomorrow?"

"You bet -usa."

* * *

><p>I continue to jog down the road, my attention wandering, but always returning to the white breath that comes from my mouth... as it blows back into the face of my passenger. A gurgling in my stomach tells me it's nearly time to savor the lunchbox Keine made for me. Then I hear it again, more insistently.<p>

_Ah shit. Guess I better make a detour for some place I can stop... _I look around for one such area. _Oh, good timing. _

Trotting up to the door, I knock on it. "Excuse me, mind if I come in?"

It opens readily. "An unexpected visitor. _Visitors._" The man corrects himself. "Come on in and warm yourselves up."

"Thanks, Morichika-san."

Suika fusses a little when I set her down near the fuel-powered heater in the room, but the warmth permeating the place makes her sigh contentedly. When I look up, I see the shop owner giving me a curious look.

"Yes?"

"I've never seen someone who would willingly carry an oni on their back."

"Well..." I think of a way to reply. "New experiences, I guess." I shrug.

"Who's here, Kourin? Oh, Ikuto! Hi there -ze!" Marisa pokes her head out from among the shelves.

_I'd call this a stroke of good luck, but considering my own, it's just part and parcel of my life. _"Hi, yourself. I was looking for you."

"Me? What for -ze?"

I fill her in on the details of the party. "Are you coming too, Morichika-san?" I turn to ask the white-haired shopkeeper.

"I'll pass. Parties aren't my thing."

_Seems like we're alike... at least the old me is. _I nod to show my understanding. "Oh yeah, Marisa. There's also something else..."

"What?"

I grin. "Go to Reimu's place tomorrow, just before lunch. You'll see."

"Now you've got me interested!" Marisa's grin matches mine.

"Do I even want to know?" Rinnosuke asks.

"Maybe not..." I set my pack down and pull out the lunchbox. "Anyway, may I borrow your place to have lunch?"

"Go ahead, I was just about to eat myself." He heads inside after saying that.

"Got any for me, Kourin?" Marisa follows.

I hear a heavy sigh of resignation as I open the box and pick up my chopsticks. I pick up a piece of egg and lift it to my mouth as I look around, when something suddenly stops it from reaching its destination. Looking down, I see Suika with her mouth clamped around the ends of the chopsticks, happily chewing the food Keine made for me.

"Would you like to share, Suika?" I invite.

Without releasing my chopsticks, she nods. _Heh, feeding the oni I kidnapped... this is such a weird situation. _I think to myself while munching a piece of chicken. _But now she's awake, so I can ask her about the underground. _

My roaming eyes lock onto something totally unexpected and not entirely unfavorable. I squint at it for a few moments before I dig into my pocket and pull out the piece of paper I got from Tewi. My gaze goes back and forth between the two, until I comprehend that I'm unable to tell if the size of the item matches the values written down, so I stand up and walk over to the shelf it's on.

"Whassat, Ikuto?" Suika asks, taking the chance to devour the rest of my lunch.

I pick it up and hold it out in front of her. "What do you think it is?"

"Dunno." Clearly uninterested, she turns her attention back to the food.

_Let's see... the size is about the same... _I try my best to recall the feel of her size. _Looks slightly adjustable, so it should probably work. _Checking the shelf I found the item on, I feel a flash of pleasure at finding some add-ons that would be greatly welcome. One of them is electrical, but when I try switching it on, it responds. _Oh yeah, this is gonna be _FUN.

Later, when I go to talk to Rinnosuke about buying it, _discreetly_, he gives me a weird look, but sells it to me without further questions. Good thing he did, because I would have no way of explaining what I was going to use it for, if I even felt like giving an explanation. The item was bulky, but since the inside was somewhat 'open', I found that I could fit it at the bottom of my bag and put the rest of my stuff inside. I manage to do it without Marisa noticing, as she's busy eating.

"Okay, Ikuto. Whatcha need?" Suika asks me just as I'm finished with rearranging my bag, washing down the food with large gulps of alcohol.

"Yeah, I need to know about how it's like underground. Like who I might run into, where should I avoid, the sort of important stuff for a human like me." _She might be a drunkard, but Suika's got experience enough to know that I brought her along with me for something._

"No problem! Well, where should I start...?"

I start taking down notes on the people I would most likely meet on my way to the Palace of the Earth Spirits, like Yamame, Parsee and Yuugi, with an interested Marisa offering extra info without my asking. Yamame and Yuugi appear the type I can handle, but Parsee... Parsee might be a problem. I'll think about it later though.

"Anything I should watch out for?"

"Hmm... try to avoid getting cooked in the fires of Hell?" Marisa suggests.

"I mean, like should I bring some gifts or something like that?"

"Nah, don't think you'll need them." Suika dismisses the idea.

_But maybe I better... considering the nature of my companion. Okay, besides eggs for Okuu and Orin, I have to include sake for Yuugi... not sure about the others though._ I add that item to the list and look at Marisa expectantly. "Anything else?"

"Uhh... can't think of anything else -ze!" She runs a hand through her hand, laughing.

"Meh... I better get going then. Still got others to invite..."

"Who's left?"

"Alice. And those at the Mansion." _I'm not entirely_

"Oh well, good luck -ze! Lemme have some of that sake, will ya?"

"Sure!"

"I'll be taking my leave then. Thanks for letting me in, Morichika-san."

He looks at me over his book. "You're welcome. But before you leave..."

"Yes?"

"Could you do something about those two? I'm not particularly fancy of having two drunkards in my shop."

"Okay." I walk over to them and grab the back of their clothes. "Let's go, girls."

"Aww~"

With my business with Suika settled, I ask Marisa to take her back. After all, considering who I'm going to meet after this... going alone would reduce the chance of a forbidden secret getting leaked. As an extra, I tell her to pass on the invitation to Youmu and Yuyuko as well. That should keep her occupied long enough.

As I make my way through the Forest, I wonder about how I should face Alice. Joke? Dominate? Hi & Bye? Be normally civil? But before I can settle on one, I'm already in front of her door, knocking on it. It isn't long before I hear footstep approaching, and as the door open, I hear a traitorous little voice in my head telling me I wasted my chance to escape when I could.

"Hi, I'm here to invite you for a party at Reimu's in five days." I recite mechanically. "Would you be able to-"

The next thing I know, multiple dolls fly at me, grab me all over my body, and drag me inside. Caught up in a whirl of activity, by the time I realize what's going on, I'm in a chair with Alice seated in my lap and hugging me tightly.

"Master~ I wanted to see you soooo much!" She mumbles, nuzzling at my neck.

"Hey, wait, no, haha, stop, Alice!" I scrabble to grip her clothes, but somehow my fingers keep slipping off. _It feels like I'm grabbing oil... did she do something to her clothes?_ "Alice. ALICE!"

She pulls back a little. "Yes, Master?"

"Couldn't you greet me normally?" _And getting called that to my face is a little shocking still... _

"But I couldn't help myself." Alice pouts, saying.

"Never mind..." _Seeing her like this throws my whole emotional status into utter chaos. How to act, what to do... I have absolutely, completely, totally, NO IDEA!_

In the end, I settle for sharing tea with her first. She restrains herself while preparing it, but when it's been served? Alice pushes her chair right next to mine, and embraces my free arm, her own cup of tea forgotten on the table.

"Um, Alice... I- ow!" Something pokes me in the back of my head, making me spill some tea.

"Ah yes, that reminds me. I made a breakthrough, Iku- Master."

"Breakthrough? Ow!" I try to see what's hitting me, but I can't turn well enough.

"Shanghai, come down here." Alice orders, and her doll floats around us into my field of vision. "Master, I've managed to make Shanghai fully autonomous."

"Huh, that's amazing." I reach out gingerly. "Woah!" Instead, I yank it back quickly to avoid a karate chop.

"She appears to be a bit possessive." The doll's maker remarks. "Shanghai, stop that. This is my Master." She scolds.

I can feel the hostility emanating from the doll at Alice's words, all of it directed right at me. _Could this be a chance? _"Um, Alice, maybe you should back off a little. She doesn't seem to like you close to me."

"But I want to stay like this." Alice insists.

_Damn, no luck. _"Just try it for a while. Please?" I wheedle.

"Alright then."

The moment we separate, Shanghai flies in between us and holds her arms out to either side while facing me, as if telling me to stay away. In response, I flash her a thumbs up that Alice can't see, though by the expression on her face, it only serves to confuse her.

"So... how did you do it?" I change the subject before Alice can go back to hugging my arm.

That question marks the start of a long, mildly fascinating lecture about the processes that Alice experimented with in her attempt to make a self-moving doll. Most of it revolve around things that I barely understand, but I keep nodding and pretending that I do, seeing how she's explaining them in so much details with so much intensity. Eventually, it all boils down to the same rules as the making of Captain America's shield or Barry Allen's super speed; it was an accident that can't be duplicated.

"Well, nice to meet you anyway, Shanghai." I say to the newborn life when Alice's story has concluded.

Unlike our first meeting, the doll responds with a rude gesture this time. _Where the hell did she learn to do that? Well, as long as she helps to control Alice from- _I sigh as I feel a familiar sensation of something clamping on my arm, _...glomping onto me. _Small stuffed hands start pummeling my head.

"Mm~ Master~..." A muffled voice says from my side.

"Just don't act like that during the party."

"Party?" Alice lifts her head up to look at my face curiously.

I resist the urge to facepalm. "I mentioned it when you opened the door, didn't I? Except you..." I give up and just explain the whole thing all over again.

"If Master will be there, then I will!"

"Also, I'd like to ask you... what do you think about Tenshi?"

"That Celestial?" Seeing me nod, she tilts her head curiously. "She's quite childish, but apart from that, rather good-natured."

I nod. "Okay..." _Guess I shouldn't invite her for tomorrow._

Thankfully, she doesn't press the matter, but it's a while before she lets me leave. Really, having a yandere, ANY yandere, in love with you is a tiring issue. After I left, I realized that I didn't tell her that about the nature of my relationship with Keine... and after further consideration, I think it's best not to.

* * *

><p>By the looks of the sky, things are going to get dark soon. But it appears I have enough time to try out the new Keyblade. Given the situation, I decide to test it out near the entrance to the Forest of Magic so I can escape in case a youkai attacks or something.<p>

Unexpectedly, Wire Performance forces its way out, trying to engulf me with its wires. I spend a few rough moments struggling for dominance over it, shredding a poor tree to splinters in the process, but I finally manage to banish it away for Future Gazer. On inspecting the remains of the tree, I notice a perfectly cut cylinder of wood and just tuck it into my pack on a whim.

_Geez... luckily that didn't happen back during the night of the full moon. _I practice a few passes with my weapon, altering its form multiple times within a single swing. Gradually I increase the complexity of the patterns, the swapping never stopping throughout. _Okay, that should be enough. _

It's easy enough to let my mind wander to Keine, the smell of her hair, the feel of her skin, the sound of her voice, the taste of her... I shake my head away from that line of thought. _But really... _I look down at the new shape of my Keyblade. _It heeded my call easier than any of the others, even Alice. _My body twitches suddenly, as if opposing forces just clashed against each other to decide my fate.

I hold it up to examine its appearance. Unlike the other Keyblades, this one didn't have a bit at the end. Instead, the entire shaft is a complete 2D picture of a writing brush, from its dark wooden length to the ink-stained hairs at the end. The hilt is made up of what looks like two dark green scrolls pinched together by black inkstones at both ends, with the navy blue handle running in between. The keychain is an image of an unrolled scroll with tiny writing on the white paper inside; the entire Keyblade a testament to the saying 'the pen is mightier than the sword'.

"Well, let's give this a try." I slice a low branch.

Olden Japanese characters burst out and fade away, but other than that, nothing happened.

_That's because you expected it to stay the same._

"Keine?" I look around for her, but I'm alone.

I think about what its power could be. _Stay the same? Does it mean it can change? Compared to Keine's power... concealing of history? _

I slice again, imagining the effect of concealment. This time, the characters that emerged wrap around the branch and vanish along with it. I stare in shock at the occurrence for a few seconds, before reaching out to confirm its disappearance. But before my hand reaches where the branch was, the characters fade back into view in the shape of the original branch, then fall off to reveal it unchanged, as though nothing had happened to it.

It's an amazing effect, but something else niggles at my mind. _Stay the same... wait, that's not the same... think about this further, from a different angle... Keine's power is over history, so... _My eyes widen. _Could this actually...?_

I cut the branch again, and once again the characters fly out from the cut to wrap around it. When they vanish, the branch is longer, and covered with green leaves that stand out prominently in this cold, barren landscape. However, I made sure to keep track of the time. Five seconds after it appeared, its outline turns back into script and fade away, leaving the branch as lifeless as before.

"This has _got _to be explored in greater detail." I say out loud to express my disbelief.

Certainly, the power of this Keyblade was beyond any of the previous ones I already owned. It seems that the stronger the bond I had with a certain girl, the stronger or more varied her respective Keyblade's abilities would be.

_Well, I treat most of the girls the same, so I never knew the difference, but when I see this..._ I look between the Keyblade and the branch. _It seems so clear..._

Further experiments help me to uncover the extent of this power further; the larger the thing, the more cuts it needs to alter or conceal its history. It takes nearly twenty swings to do anything to a full-grown tree, but the time limit stays the same. On the other hand, if the original item is small, it takes only one swing to return it to its original full size, no matter how large that may be, as I found out to my momentary alarm with a small stone that became a gigantic boulder.

Which brings me to another amazing trait about its ability: there is no discernable limit to how far I can alter its history, whether it's turning a small seed into a tree that towers far beyond any others or the stone into actual lava. It's as if the entire passage of time is at the will of this weapon, which is a slightly scary thought. Even if it is for only five seconds, the possibilities are staggering.

Then there's a few curious effects regarding the concealing ability. When I erased a medium-sized boulder, I put a small stone in its place and waited. Imagine my surprise when it didn't reappear after five seconds, or even five minutes. Then when I removed the obstruction, the boulder pops back into existence the moment my hand leaves the boundary of its existence, so suddenly I nearly fall over backwards in surprise.

The other one is that a stone I cut as it's falling will reappear on the ground, while another that I smack at a tree with the side of the Keyblade will reappear on the other side as if it hadn't hit the tree. There's some existential thing to this that I don't feel like thinking about, but to summarize it for myself, it's as if the use of this Keyblade divides a reality into two separate parts that continue onwards independent of each other, though not everything is affected, like the earth beneath my feet.

_This is just as useful as Wire Performance. _I barely register the twitch that runs through my body. _Or maybe even better. Thank you for this protection, Keine. _The thought elicits a happy response from the Keyblade in my grip.

"So... what should I name you?" I wonder as I walk out of the Forest and head back towards the village.

_History... altering it... Keine always records down things so they become a part of history... _I grin to myself. _That's one half down... the other... it's a brush, so..._

"Record Rewrite." As the last syllable leaves my mouth, the keychain bursts into full brilliance, before fading to reveal its new form.

_A brush to match the scroll. Totally fits. _

I take my time going through the village, talking to villagers and dodging the increasingly rare newspaper. The tengus' newspaper tournament is winding down to its last few contenders, but as their number dwindle, their ferocity increases in inverse proportion. Still, the number of ballistic missiles are decreasing overall.

That's not to say that nobody reads them. By now, nearly everyone around knows that I'm not just staying with Keine, but I'm dating her as well. Except they also know about my other relationships, so I'm getting congratulations and jealous looks from all around the place. Seems like my wife _is_ quite popular among the young males. It's hard not to feel superior to them when I think about that.

"But really... it's amazing how big Gensokyo is... just travelling all around those places without flying takes up so much time." I say to no one in particular.

"Oh, welcome back, Ikuto. I just bought groceries for tonight's dinner." Keine's voice speaks from behind. "Have you finished what you went out to do?"

"Yeah, I have..." I turn around to see not Keine, but Sakuya instead.

"Good evening, Ikuto. My mistress has requested your presence at her mansion for dinner."

"Wait, Izayoi-san!" I hear Keine shout from behind her.

"I'm afraid I must insist." The tone of the maid's voice tells me how much my fate is set in stone as she pulls out her silver watch.

"Guess there's no need to make..." I start to quip.

The entire scenery suddenly changes around me, from a cold winter village to a warm red room.

"...dinner for me." I end up saying to Remilia's face.

"That was my intention." was her amused reply. "Good work, Sakuya."

"I live to serve, Milady." Sakuya bows slightly, still holding her watch in one hand. "I'll see to dinner preparations." With that, she vanishes just as suddenly as she had appeared.

I turn to face Remilia, doing my best to act normal. "So... do you have a place where I can wash up?" I ask flippantly. "It would be terribly rude of me to have dinner while smelling of sweat."

"Certainly." The vampire replies without hesitation, her chin not moving from where it's resting on the back of her hand. "In fact, there is a bathroom just outside this room."

"Thank you." I bow slightly and exit the room.

The moment the door clicks shut behind me, I'm already thinking about my situation. I can expect Keine to come after me, but whether she'll make it in is another matter entirely; Meiling has been able to fend off nearly everyone but Marisa. So should I try to escape on my own? I shake my head, the moment Remilia finds out, she'll just send Sakuya after me, and there's no hiding from _her_, plus I would only offend the vampire. So the only thing left is to find out what they want and settle that matter, and leave peacefully.

_Keine, I'll be fine. Trust me. _I imagine the message going out to her. _Don't worry about me._

_I hope so. Stay safe. _My eyes widen when I hear the worried reply coming through the bracelet, but before I can formulate a reply, I feel a sensation like something locking, telling me that the link was momentary.

_Now that's new. That never happened with the other girls... another special trait of our relationship? _I realize I can use this to call for help, but for now, I'll just wait and see.

The bathroom is quite impressive... for a rural place like Gensokyo. It's been so long since I last used a toilet with actual amenities, but since I'm already used to the general standard here, I'm not complaining. Though I wonder... how do they get hot water and heating in this place? The water seems clean enough to drink, but I rather not risk it for now.

When I step out of the hot shower and dry myself off with the thick towel that was already waiting in the basket, I find some clothes along with it. _Perfect fit... did Sakuya measure me or something? Hmm, these are easy to move about in..._

Once I'm dressed, I reenter the room Remilia was in to see her sipping from a wine glass. "Thanks for the clothes, Lady Remilia."

She smiles, though it doesn't do much to reassure me. "Glad to know you find them to your liking."

"So, may I ask what you brought me here for?"

"It's a simple matter. You agreed to play with my sister, didn't you?"

_Oh. SHIT. _"Y-Yes, I did." I reply, my calmness cracking a little.

"You are all she has been talking or asking about. And I prefer not to have Flan in a bad mood." Remilia speaks delicately, like a butcher coaxing a pig to the slaughter.

"Oh. I see." I look around, even though I know that it's only us two in the room. "And where is she?"

"You will see her at dinner." The vampire smiles again, this time showing a fang. "Or maybe earlier."

I'm sure she knows that my heart rate is accelerating, the knowledge of death drawing close forcing adrenaline into my blood. I bow and ask permission, and take my leave of the mistress of the mansion, with the information that her maid will come for me when dinnertime comes. I'm not sure how long it'll take, but right now, I need to get an idea of the place. With that thought in mind, I start exploring.

Between one step and the other down yet another carpeted hallway, I suddenly find myself in front of a door. It's still a bit confusing to experience these sudden transitions, but I soon realize that Sakuya has put me right outside the dining room, so I simply enter to face my fate.

"Excuse the intrusion." I murmur as I push the door open.

Remilia is already seated at the head of the table. "Please, take a seat." She indicates the pulled-out chair that Sakuya is standing behind.

As I deliberately walk over to it slowly, my eyes scan the room's inhabitants. Patchouli and Koakuma are seated on Remilia's left, leaving me to sit between Remilia and... Flandre. The next thing I know, the blond little girl is hurtling out of her seat to grab the front of my clothes.

"Onii-chan, you came!" She says eagerly.

"Haha, yeah, I did." I respond a little stiffly, all too conscious of the power in those small hands. "Here, everyone's waiting to eat. Let's sit down."

"Okay!"

The door on the opposite end of the room suddenly slams open, making me jump. "Sorry I'm late, Mistress!" Meiling pants.

"No matter. Sit." Remilia dismisses the interruption.

I take my seat as Meiling takes hers next to Koakuma. At a nod from Remilia, food suddenly appears in front of all of us, and Sakuya reappears in her own chair next to Flandre.

"Itadakimasu..." I say along with everyone else, and dig into the meal.

It's delicious, but I don't really have much of an appetite here. Most of the others are eyeing me curiously, clearly wondering what I'm doing here, and any conversation is only between select people.

"Koakuma, have you shelved away the books before leaving?"

"Yes, Patchouli-sama. I put them back in the same place they were taken from."

"I believe we'll need them again afterwards." The sorceress informs her gravely.

Her familiar sighs. "Oh, alright. Will you need the ones on concealment too?"

"Perhaps..."

Next to them, Meiling is speaking to Sakuya. "It's so cold outside... and there's no more flowers around..."

"They'll grow again in the spring. And I thought you said that taking care of the flowers was a bothersome chore?" The maid replies unconcernedly.

"I didn't really mean that... Ah... seeing nothing but empty gardens is so boring..." The gate guard yawns.

"Meiling, how many _times..._"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll do my best not to sleep, so don't punish me!"

Meanwhile, I'm feeding some of my food to Flandre. "Say aah~"

"Aah~" She clamps her mouth over the fork and pulls the meat off, chewing. "Mmm~ delicious!"

"Good girl, good girl." I pet her head, saying. _Maybe if I do this, she won't treat too roughly afterwards. Though 'rough' with her is like total annihilation._

"Good to see you two are getting along..." Remilia chuckles quietly from behind me. "Ah, Patchy! Did you drink from my cup?" She demands. "And eat my food?"

"I did not. You finished them yourself, Remi."

"One moment, Milady. I'll bring some more."

That's how the dinner talk is like. Though I act like I'm focused on buttering up Flandre, my senses are at full attention, trying to find some clue as to who might be my ally for later.

My eyes suddenly widen as I identify a crucial clue. _That's it! _I peek around subtly, trying to meet the eyes of my possible savior. _Good! She's noticed me! _I carefully slip out a piece of paper with a pen and scribble a message. _And... throw!_

I feel a surge of exultation when I see the girl notice the paper and unfurl it. She takes a moment to read it while I continue feeding her, but finally nods. Looks like I might actually survive after all.

All too soon, the dinner comes to an end, and I adjourn to a sitting room with the Scarlet sisters and their maid to gamble for my fate.

"Let's play, Onii-chan!" The way Flandre's eyes light up as she's saying that gets my blood pumping again.

"Now, what will you do, Ikuto?" Her sister asks me amusedly.

My plan is still a little rough, but I think I can go with it. "Let's play... tag." I propose.

"That sounds fun! Let's play! Let's play!"

Remilia's crimson eyes flash. "Ho~ You challenge a vampire to tag? Pretty brave of you, _human_."

"Sakuya, what's the time now?"

She checks her watch. "It is currently seven-thirty."

_Thirty minutes. Should be enough. _"We'll start at eight, then. But I have some rules." _Have to make them reasonable._

"Let's hear it then."

"First, this shall be between me and Flandre only. Second, she can only run, not fly. And no danmaku."

"Reasonable rules." Remilia approves.

"Third..." _This isn't going to be good for me. I might be overestimating myself, but I don't think she'll accept anything less. _"The area is within the mansion only... and until midnight."

Even Sakuya is taken aback by that. "Are you really sure, Ikuto?"

I nod with grim determination, trying not to think about whether I could have asked for a shorter time limit. "Fourth, it's my win if I leave after then, and my loss if she catches me before then."

"That sounds more like hide-and-seek rather than tag." Remilia smirks. "Fine then. Flandre, did you understand what the rules are?"

"Yes, Onee-sama!" Her sister nods eagerly.

"Sakuya, you shall be the judge of this game." Her servant nods in acknowledgment. "Then let us begin."

"Alright, be seeing you. Or not." With that, I stride out of the room, breaking into a dash the moment the door closes behind me.

_Four hours. This is going to be a tough match. _I think as I run down the hallways. _The only chance I have of winning against a vampire lies with my ally. And having a good plan. _I turn the corner and find the dining room.

Sure enough, she's waiting in there, and I get right to the heart of the matter. "Thanks for coming. I don't have much time, so let's make this quick." With that, I tell her how I need her help.

* * *

><p>Ikuto really likes to corner himself... four hours against a vampire who doesn't know the meaning of holding back... trapped inside a huge mansion. This is totally material for a splatter film. But who could the person he's asking for help be? I'll do my best to write in an idea of the person who guesses her identity.<p>

Or will help lie with the items he's collected? A piece of wood, a special item for somebody, or maybe none of them? Been a while since I wrote one of these question-the-readers chapter.

Record Rewrite is a powerful Keyblade, evidently. Sometimes I wonder if I made it too overpowered. Ikuto will probably use it a lot in the future.

Sorry about this Etherdrone, but I'm not going to keep writing sex scenes for Keine all the time. Sex in this fanfic is meant to be an extra, not the central focus. As for how much he has to fight to keep the harem, that depends on the human girls, since most of them would outlive him three times over at the very least, even Alice. Hope my attempt to portray their relationship as realistic didn't fail, although adding psychic messaging might be a bit much.


	29. Chapter 28: SDM Tag 1: Evade

**Seriously? Only Etherdrone tried guessing who Ikuto was asking for help? Sigh... Well, whatever, enjoy the next chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>"Truly, how did you notice me?"<strong> The girl in yellow asks.

I shrug. "I seem to have an ability for that. But can you help me?"

Koishi Komeiji nods, smiling. It was really a stroke of luck for me that she intruded on a search for food above ground; if I hadn't heard Remilia complain about missing food, I wouldn't have realized to look for her. With her helping to mask my presence, I think I could last the entire four hours.

**"I can't always hide you, however."** She speaks into my mind.

This time it's my turn to nod. "Yeah... sooner or later they'll figure out how I'm hiding."

I had no idea of how much time I had before the game started, though a grandfather clock I passed by on the way here about six minutes ago read seven-thirty five, so I have around twenty minutes left.

"Okay, first, I need you to put these around the place, as far from each other as possible." Crouching down, I take out the china cups I took from the dining room and put them on the floor.

**"Cups? How will they help you?" **

"It's what's in the cups... Nn!" With a small general-use knife I keep in my pack, I cut a deep gash into my left pinky and drip the blood into six cups, putting enough to obscure the design at the bottoms. "Try not to spill them."

**"That looks painful." **Koishi comments.

With my right, I bring out the key and summon Blaze Revive to heal the wound. "Necessary." I tell her grimly as I endure the pain that comes with it. "When you're done, find me at the clock on the roof. I owe you for this."

The satori nods, her closed third eye bobbing on her chest. **"I understand. Good luck."**

I don't waste time watching her carry the cups away; I'm already up and running, heading for the stairs and going up. Occasionally, I make detours to cut myself again to draw arrows to throw Flandre off my trail, but eventually I reach the base of a stairs that lead up into darkness.

_I can see the outline of a door up there. Man, this is creepy. _Breathing heavily, I look around first, and spot a door a few meters away. I approach it cautiously and try the handle. It opens, and I enter it cautiously.

The inside is a little dusty, testament to Sakuya's thorough work in such a large place. Working fast, I check the wardrobe and the rest of the furniture, and find very little which can help me. _Damn, this won't do... pillows might be useful... _My mind examines and discards ideas one after another, but eventually I realize what I can do. _Damn, I need to think faster... and recall how the crimes in Detective Conan went!_

For now, I leave the room without taking anything and hurry up the stairs to the roof. But when I try the door, I realize it's locked. Not to be deterred, I summon Wire Performance and ease out the wires.

_Okay, first I have to scan through... alright, I figured out how the tumblers work... so the shape of the key... and turn! _The lock clicks open, and I quickly pull the door open and go through. _Now let go of me, please. _I order the wires that sneakily try to wrap around me off my body.

As expected, the place is devoid of any structure but the huge clock face. As I look around the place, a biting cold wind hits my face. Clearly it would be dangerous for me to stay here for long. The clock tells me that it's been five minutes since the game started; considering that I didn't hear any ringing just now, it'll be hard for me to tell how much longer I have left without checking regularly. For now, I settle down near the door to collect my thoughts.

_I'm cornered up here... there's no telling who's going to come up first, Koishi or Flandre. Chances are I'll hear Flandre's footsteps while Koishi flies, but there's no telling whether Flandre will break the rules. _I shake my head furiously. _Focus! I need plans! First, I need... a map! Then the only place for it will be... the library._

But there was a problem with that. I didn't have any idea how to get to where the library is from here, thanks to the huge size of the place. I could ask Koishi for help, but that's only if we have any way of finding each other...

_Right, other stuff... escape plans? Judging by the number of rooms around this place, I can pull off decoys and fake escapes. But I need equipment for that... ropes, weight, materials... _Best place to get them would be the storerooms. _Except... I not only have no idea how to get there, but I have no idea where they even are!_

My thread radar suddenly picks something up, and I move instantly, rolling away from where I'm seated against the wall to aim Wavebreaker at the door.

**"No need to be alarmed. It's me." **I 'hear'.

Relaxing slightly, I lower my weapon. "Sorry. I can't tell for sure, so I'm just being careful. Did it go okay?"

She nods. **"I have placed the cups around the place. However, I have some bad news. She's tracking you by the smell of your sweat, not your blood."**

_Oh, shit. _"She's coming here?"

**"After drinking from those cups, actually." **Koishi smiles, as though the memory of it must be amusing.

"Damn, that idea failed." I curse. "No telling how long I have..." _Think! Think! There has to be something!_

**"Ooh, what a big clock!" **Apparently unconcerned, she wanders over to the clock.

_Clock? Oh yeah! _I quickly dash over it, examining its face and the sides. _No door... but certainly there has to be some way it works... Oh right. _I recall the main difference between me and the girls, and look up. _There. _

Near the twelve mark, there's a thin outline which I can barely make out even with the moonlight. Once more I enlist Koishi's help, and she carries me up. While she holds me steady, I bring out Wire Performance to slip tendrils through the small gaps. My eyes widen when I realize the locking mechanism on this one is way more complex, too much so for me to unlock without time.

**"It will open eventually, won't it?" **My carrier asks with a hint of worry in her voice, clearly picking up my emotions.

Once again, she has given me a way out. Smirking, I let my latest Keyblade take over, and cut through the center of the door. The surface vanishes, and I quickly go through before it reforms, though I manage to throw out some of my dirty clothes before it does.

"Koishi, can you hear me?" I call through the door softly, then repeating it louder when there's no reply.

**"Yes, I can." **

"I'm not sure where this will lead or how long it will take, but let's meet up at the kitchen. For the time being, just go around the place with the shirt I threw out."

**"Okay, but please don't keep me waiting long."**

With that, I turn and head deeper into the mechanisms of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's clock. It's so dark I can't even see my hand when it's barely an inch from my face, but with my thread radar, I don't have to worry about running into anything. As I advance, I gradually become aware of the sound of metal moving.

I feel the surface beneath my feet alter. _Metal walkway... then stairs leading down. _I descend carefully. _The sound is getting louder. Wait, I can see something now... whiteness, ah, it's the moonlight shining on the face of the clock! But it's so thick that there's hardly any light coming in. _Piecing together that info, I realize that the place I entered through was some sort of tiny corridor, which then led into the inside of the clock, an open area where the gears that made the hands move were.

_Let's risk it for now. Blaze Revive, keep your flames low. _As requested, the only fire that appears is barely larger than a candle's but it's enough for me to see around the place. There's the rod that extends into the center of the face, and the connecting gears and chains. _It's a pendulum clock... but I don't hear that tick-tock sound. Oh wait, I do. _The sound is so soft I have to hold my breath and focus just to hear it over the sound of the gears' soft squeaking.

When I peer over the side, I can see a number of chains leading down into the darkness, but I can't see exactly where they end. I descend further, looking around at the barely moving gears. While I have absolutely no idea about the exact mechanisms involved in this clock, I could tell that there was something different, something non-human about this. Or should I say, not of the usual technological level?

I get my answer when I reach the bottom of the metal stairway, where the heavy pendulum is making a whooshing sound as it swings back and forth over empty darkness, while behind me are the surprisingly small weights that drives the gears. This deep, the light from the clock face is no longer visible, so all I have to rely on is Blaze Revive's flame, but it's enough for me to see an odd contraption with a plate extending from it a few meters below the weights. I crouch down to examine it closer, and see something that makes me feel impressed.

_These engravings... if I'm reading them right, the moment one of them touches the plate, it signals another contraption up above to rewind the weight right away. _I brush the dust away from the rest of the surface; Sakuya probably doesn't come here to clean. "Last date of inspection, about three years ago? Hmm... Next scheduled date... _seven years later?_ What the-?" I say incredulously. _So that's it... this clock is maintained by the kappas. _

If I recall, most machines in the human world have maintenance done on them every six months or so. It's a testament to the kappas' work that this clock has an interval of a decade. I make a mental note to visit Nitori to see her work sometime.

I shiver slightly. Even though I'm sheltered from the wind, it's still kind of cold in here without the fire actively warming my body. _I could probably hide here for the rest of the time, but I have an agreement with Koishi. _Getting to my feet, I start looking around for another way out.

_And while I'm at it, I need to review my quick escape plans._

* * *

><p>"Shit! Shit! Shit!" <em>Why did I leave that place! <em>I can hear her laughter echoing down the stairs behind me as I tear down the hallway towards the kitchen.

I found another entrance to the clock that was on the third floor, behind a section of the wall that was so well-concealed I would have never known if I hadn't come out through it. Just in case, I marked the wall with my blood, but that's when I heard Flandre approaching. Apparently, while she can track the smell of my sweat, cutting myself releases fresh blood, which is like the biggest signal I could ever give. Needless to say, I ran as fast as I could, but the hunt was on.

I spot Koishi up ahead. **"Oh, there you are. Why are you-"**

Without replying, I grab her hand and pull her along with me. At first there's a resistance, but then it suddenly vanishes, prompting me to look around to see her flying.

**"She's catching up, you know."** She informs me.

"Ha... Ha... I... Ha... know!" _Come on, think! Think of a way to lose her!_

"I'm going to catch you, Onii-chan~" Flandre sing-songs from around the corner behind me. "Thanks for all those treats you left~"

**"By the way, I found some rope. I sensed that you needed it." **The youkai offers me a few lengths of it with a grave air. **"Also, I found a few nails. They might be of use to you."**

Damn, this girl is a total lifesaver! Time to put my plan into action! I turn another corner and take the stairs three at a time, then head down another corridor and into the first room I see.

It takes a moment for me to see that it is similar to the other room I entered, a clean yet unused appearance. _Time to make this work. _I toss the ropes up into the air and call Wire Performance to do the work, the wires flying around the place grabbing and setting up the things needed within and without the room for my magic trick as Koishi watches with interest. _If I didn't have this one, she'd catch me before I could even build the first part. _With all the focus I expend on putting the wires to work, the Keyblade doesn't try to embrace me, for which I'm thankful. _It's like I'm running a program I coded in my mind... _

"I can smell youuu~ Onii-chan!" Flandre's voice echoes, coming through the door behind us.

"Damn, I'm not sure if this will work. But let's hide for now!" Recalling the wires, I dive to the ground and roll myself under the bed, where Koishi joins me.

**"Isn't this fun?"** She asks happily.

"Shh! Just hide us!"

As I do my best to control my breathing while hiding in the shadows under the bed, I hear footsteps coming down the corridor, coming to a stop outside the room we're hiding in.

"You're in there, aren't you, Onii-chan?" There's a short pause. "I know you are. I'm coming in now~"

_Sometimes her voice sounds like a child's... other times... it sounds like that of an axe murderer._

I watch intensely as the door slowly opens, and there is a squeaking sound as she triggers the mechanism I set up on the door with a loosely embedded nail and some rope, causing the huge sheet I took from the bed to fall down and cover her line of sight. I hear a yelp and feel a moment of triumph, already anticipating the next part, which is already in motion from the sound of the ropes rustling.

"No fair! But there's no place to run!" As I watch from my hiding place, the white sheet drops around her black shoes. "Wha-!"

I can imagine what she saw right then; my setup of ropes and nails combined with the chairs in the room would send a bundle of pillows falling out the window and through another one on a lower floor, using a chair as the triggering weight. With the sheet temporarily blocking Flandre's vision, the most she would see is something going out the window. And when she goes to the window like she's doing now, the most she'll see is something entering the room below this by the window and a single chair outside.

"Wow, Onii-chan, you're fast! But I'll catch you eventually!" Flandre says gleefully, and runs out of the room.

I wait for nearly a minute after the sound of her footsteps fade before I can no longer hold my breath, and expel it in one rush. _Didn't expect it to work this well. _I roll out from beneath the bed and stand up, seeing Koishi do the same on the opposite side.

"How did she not notice us?" I ask curiously.

**"She's aware of people beneath the bed, but only subconsciously. Right then, she was focused on following you, so she ignored that." **The girl explains. **"The moment she decides to track you by smell once more, she'll realize that you haven't left this room."**

"Hmm, I see. That means it won't work if she's actually chasing that instead." I muse, but the wind coming through the window brings me back to reality. "And it also means I don't have time to be staying here! You coming?"

**"Don't mind if I do!"**

As we move down the corridor in the opposite direction the vampire went, with me running alongside Koishi as she flies, I realize she seems to be following me. A clock I pass by tells me it's just around nine, which means I have to survive for three more hours.

"Um, Koishi, do you... know where... the library is?" I pant.

**"Why yes. The girl with purple hair takes some delicious cookies there sometimes."**

_What are you, Nurarihyon? _(1) "Can you lead me there?"

**"Just follow me!" **

This time, I follow her as she takes the lead, going down a few flights of stairs until we reach the labyrinth that is the basement. There's a small degree of familiarity around the brightly lit corridor we finally arrive at, and I can see a few fairy maids puttering around the place. This is the right place, and soon enough I arrive before the big double doors that is the entrance to Patchouli's library.

"You still with me?" I ask again, and Koishi nods. "Alright then, we're going in."

I place my hands on either side of the line and push, gaining admittance into the place. As always, I'm awed by its immensity, but I quash that emotion and continue onwards. Behind me, I'm dimly aware of Koishi flitting around looking from one bookshelf to the next.

_First, I have to find Patchouli. Common sense indicates that she would be in the center of this place, where she inspected the Keyblade inside a magic circle. If only I could remember where that was..._ I look up at the ceiling to get an idea of my location within the place. _I think... I just have to go straight ahead and make a right._

With that, I dash down the path I set for myself, my feet making muffled thumps as they hit the carpet.

"Who is- KYA!"

Just as I cut around the corner, I realize I'm going too fast to stop, and right in front of me is Koakuma. There's a brief sense of déjà vu before books go flying all over the place, and I'm on top of the poor girl. The shock of the impact has barely faded before her aura hits me like a ton of bricks, driving my arousal up to the maximum levels.

"Ggk! Gah!" With only a shred of sanity left, I fling myself backwards and off her.

She gasps and starts crawling towards me. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay!"

"Stay away!" I force out through clenched teeth. _A girl! Girl! Girlgirlgirlgirl! Take her! Take her now!_ "Don't come any closer!"

**"Why are you holding yourself back?" **Koishi asks curiously

_Not helping! _"This isn't the time or place for it!" I look up to see Koakuma backing away, her succubus aura losing its effect as she puts more distance between us.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologizes again.

"Just... take me to Patchouli." I start thinking of unimportant things to get my mind off that hot-looking body and what I'd like to do to it with what's between my... _No! Don't go there!_

"Okay, please follow me." She gathers up the books and moves off.

With her leading the two of us at a safe distance, I soon locate Koakuma's master, except it's not at the center of the place, but a small reading desk in one corner. The desk is so heavily stacked with books, that the only indication that there's someone behind is a patch of light purple that shakes from side to side. Though we barely make any noise with our approach, the owner of that cap looks up as we draw close, peering over the small pair of glasses perched on her button nose at me.

"Now this is an unexpected intrusion. I expected that black-white witch instead." Patchouli observes dryly. "Instead it's you?"

I look behind, but it takes a bit of zoning out to see Koishi off by herself at a nearby bookshelf. _Well, she's not hurting anyone. _I think as I turn back to face the library's mistress. "I need your help."

"I heard from Sakuya. This match is between you and Remi's sister, isn't it?" Her tone tells me I'm not likely to get much help with that.

_Time to play the lawyer. _"When I said that, I meant that only me and Flandre would be the active players. Sakuya as the judge can't interfere, but you can provide some assistance, right?"

The ends of her mouth curve upwards slightly. "You're a smart one, Ikuto."

"Thank you."

"So? How can I assist you?"

_Yes! _"First, I need a map of the mansion. Right now I'm just going around blind."

She turns to her familiar. "Koakuma, do you know where we keep it?"

The redhead shakes her head. "No, Patchouli-sama."

Patchouli indicates to her right. "Go down that route, turn left at the third bookshelf, then right. The maps are on the thirty-ninth shelf of the bookshelf on the end, in the third bin from the left."

_Woah, that is some memory._ I shift aside slightly as Koakuma goes flying past me, and I walk up to the desk once she's gone. "Do you remember everything that's in here?"

"More or less." She looks down at the open book before her and slots a bookmark into it before closing it and looking back up at me again. "You said the first thing you needed was a map. What else do you require?"

"Something that can eliminate my smell so that Flandre can't track me."

Her nostrils flare a little. "Indeed, even I can smell the sweat on you from here. You've been really active, haven't you?"

I sniff at my armpit, though I can't really smell much. "Haha, yeah... having a vampire chasing after you will do that."

"One moment."

Patchouli gets up from her seat and goes to the wall behind her, gesturing as she approaches it. A glowing sigil appears on it, and fades with part of the wall to reveal a shelf filled with dozens of vials and bottles. She takes one and returns to me, the wall reappearing to cover up the bottles behind her.

"You're lucky that we happened to be so close to one of the places where I stored this mixture." She tells me, handing it over to me. "Here, rub it into your body, particularly over the armpits, neck, and back."

Just as I my hand is about to close over the bottle, I hear something that makes me freeze, and I nearly fumble and drop it.

"Onii~chan! You're in here, aren't you~"

"You'd best hurry." Patchouli advises. "But it'll take a while before it starts to work."

"No need to tell me that!" I uncork the bottle and strip off my shirt.

"Patchouli-sama, I've brought the- Eek!" Koakuma squeaks from my right at seeing me half-naked.

"Sorry!" I apologize, dumping copious amounts of the potion on my hands and rubbing it on my body, splashing some on my back. As I continue to cover myself, I move away reflexively to avoid Koakuma.

"Koakuma, come over here." Patchouli orders, and her familiar complies, also going out of the way to avoid me.

"Are you down here, Onii-chan~?" Flandre's voice is closer now.

Desperate, I upend the rest of the bottle on my head, before donning my shirt and turning to where Koishi is. Or was. _Where'd she go? Damn, no time. _I turn back to Patchouli, who's looking through the map. Noticing my attention on her, she rolls it up and hands it over to me.

"It hasn't been updated for a while, so you may find some entrances on it that no longer exist." She warns.

I take it and tuck it into my clothes. "It'll be fine." _As long as I've got Record Rewrite, I can pull this off!_

"Go down that way." She points in the opposite direction she sent Koakuma in earlier. "I'll attempt to delay her as much as I can."

"Okay, thanks!" I set off in the direction she pointed me in. "By the way, I'll find some way to get your books back from Marisa!"

Whatever her response, I don't catch it as I'm soon swallowed up amongst the bookshelves, with the only sounds I hear coming from my feet hitting the floor and my blood pounding in my ears. After a minute of going straight, I hit a T-junction. Quickly I turn right, hoping to follow the wall until I reach the door to the place, but about two minutes later, I find myself in something of a cul-de-sac.

_Shit, have to backtrack... or not._ I realize, seeing a ladder down one of the rows. _Wonder how this library looks like from a higher view._

**"You don't smell so much now." **Koishi suddenly pops up from behind me saying.

"Geez! Don't scare me like that!" I scold, moving over to the ladder and starting to climb.

**"Sorry." **She apologizes, sounding insincere. **"Will you be taking much longer?"**

I pause halfway up the ladder. "Do you have to go already?"

**"I'm afraid so."** She admits, floating upwards next to me.

I resume my climb, finally passing the top of the bookshelf on my left. "Could you wait until I manage to leave the library?"

**"Of course." **

"Thanks." Looking up, I see I don't have much farther to go.

"Found you, Onii-chan!" Flandre calls from below.

_FUCK!_ I don't bother looking back; speeding up my climb, I clamber over the edge of a railing of a walkway that encircles the library and start running along it.

**"She's much faster than you." **Koishi observes calmly, looking down from where I got off the ladder. **"Much, much faster."**

_That means running like this is useless! _I stop and look around, but the only way is onwards, where she would most likely catch me before I reach the door, or back, which is asking to be killed, or... _The bookshelves, they aren't all the same height, and the one over there is low enough for me to run atop of._ With my decision made, I step on the railing and jump.

They're wider than I thought, but the more I run along their lengths, hopping from one to another, the narrower they seem to get. In some parts, one is barely higher than the previous one, and I would climb up higher as though taking the stairs, while in others, the difference in height is so great, I needed to slip around the side and climb up using the shelves. I'm gradually going higher and higher, and after a particularly hard climb, I risk a look back.

Flandre is speeding along the same path I took so fast I momentarily forget to breathe, hopping like a child playing an easy game of hopscotch. Shelves that I needed to climb like ladders, she just jumps over like they're barely there. Spotting me watching her, she stops and waves.

"I'm gonna get you, Onii-chan!" She calls cheerfully.

As if I'm going to accept that. Reenergized, I continue moving, running down a particularly narrow bookshelf at full speed. With the training at Eientei, something like this is a simple task for me. It isn't until I jump that I realize that the next shelf isn't just far away, but at a much lower height.

"Oof!" I barely manage to roll with the impact. The map slips out of my clothes, and for a moment I snatch at it as it tumbles away, before catching it just as it goes over the edge. _Damn, that was close. Too close! _

That's when I realize something about the library. The shelves appear haphazard, but now that I've seen more of it, I realize there is a pattern to it. The entire library is a magic circle, or more appropriately, a magic structure, with the different heights of the bookshelves adding a third dimension for more magic formulas. And right now, I'm at one side of the square that is at the center, the second floor doors that is my exit on the opposite side. Light is provided by the spheres that hang down from the ceiling, and there are couches suspended by cables all around; probably for Patchouli when she doesn't feel like carrying a book all the way back to a desk.

_Wait, I don't have time to think about this! I'll come back here to stay eventually, so let's just survive to do so! _

"Ooooniiiii-chaaaaaan!" Flandre's voice grows louder at an alarming rate, and I barely dodge as she comes crashing down where I was a moment ago. "Aww~ I missed! But I've got you now!" The vampire tells me confidently.

I chance a peek behind me; I'm cornered on a single shelf, with Flandre on the next one facing me and empty air behind me. If I go left or right, Flandre would catch me immediately, so...

I raise up my left hand in a stationary wave. "Adios!" I say loudly, and I see her expression become puzzled.

With that, I let myself fall back, and over the edge.

Everything. _She's going..._

Slows. _To catch me..._

Down. _Right here..._

_NOT! _I can see Flandre pouncing, her left hand extended, the lights from above reflecting off her long red nails, her red eyes opened wide with glee in mid leap. Behind her head, some of her blonde locks are streaming backwards, fluttering in the air currents along with her clothes. Bit by bit, time speeds back up and the freefall sensation hits my body.

"I've got you now!"

Grinning, I shake my head, looking upwards past her with my eyes as I pull my right hand out from behind my back, spinning my Keyblade around in my grip so I can grab its shaft with my left. The triumph in her eyes vanishes instantly as a shock runs through my body, causing a sudden change in my momentum, and I can see the surprise in Flandre's expression as I swing out from below her, her fingers barely missing my head as she continues to fall past me.

_Pull! _A humming runs through my arms in response to my thoughts, as Wire Performance's reels start pulling, drawing me back upwards. _And... release!_ Just as I hit the end of my swing, I open my right hand and uncurl the wires from the various hanging structures around the place, executing a somersault to land down onto the bookshelf opposite from where I started, crouching to disperse the force of the impact. _Man! That was exhilarating! Let's NEVER do that again._

"Ow!" I hear from down below along with a loud thump.

"Flandre, you okay?" I can't resist calling down. _A normal person would be splattered all over that carpet._

"Auu~ Onii-chan, that was cheating!" She yells back.

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!"

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!" Her voice insists, suddenly sounding much louder because she's flying towards me.

"Now that's cheating." I say, pointing at her as she floats closer. "You're not supposed to fly."

"Ikuto is right, Flandre-sama." Sakuya suddenly appears out of thin air between us. "You've broken the rules by flying."

"But Sakuya-chan!" Flandre shrills.

"He has not broken any rules by doing what he did." The maid informs calmly. "Please descend to the ground and await your penalty."

"Okay..." The vampire gives in and descends.

"So..." I ask, still feeling the rush of barely avoiding capture. "Where... were you... watching from?"

"From the side."

_Huh, where exactly was that? _I decide not to press the issue and ask the next question. "Aren't you scared... of someone that can... destroy you without even trying hard?"

Sakuya places one hand on her chest. "My life belongs to Milady." She says without a change in expression, as though it explained everything.

_Actually, it does._ My breathing finally gets back to normal."Well, thanks for stopping her."

"I'm simply performing my role as the judge of this game. Speaking of which, Flandre-sama will receive a ten minute penalty for breaking the rules." Her mouth twitches a little. "I advise you to use that time well."

_So she's not as emotionless as she looks? _If I hadn't been watching her carefully, I would have missed it. "Okay, thanks."

With that, she flies down to where Flandre is to give her the news. Ten minutes isn't much, especially when I consider how far I am from the library door, so I start running again.

**"That was a big stroke of luck, wasn't it?" **I suddenly notice Koishi flying next to me.

"Where'd you vanish to?" I ask as I jump from the end of the last bookshelf to grab onto the railing of a set of spiral stairs.

**"I saw the maid some distance away. She looked interesting, so I went to watch her."**

_Is this related to her power over the subconscious? It's like her attention span is really short, totally prone to random whims. _I run up the stairs and emerge onto a landing that leads right to where the doors are.

As I push open the doors, my mind picks that moment to play some music that fits the Stage Clear mood, and I chuckle under my breath. The music stops when the doors bang shut, the sound echoing through the small corridor I'm in. Clearly, it is now the third stage.

And clearly, I have a fucked-up perception; I've just given myself an A rank for my performance.

* * *

><p><strong>"Good luck. You'll treat me to good food sometime?"<strong>

I nod. "Yep, though I'm not sure if my skills are good enough for a gourmet like you."

**"I'm looking forward to it." **With that, my first ally takes her leave, flying off from a balcony.

_Man, I _REALLY_ owe her for the help she's given. And I also need to find some way to get Patchy's books back from Marisa. But right now... _The grandfather clock nearby tells me I've only two minutes left before Flandre comes after me again. _She shouldn't be able to track me by smell... but without Koishi to warn me..._

I consult the map to find out where I am. There's only two balconies on this floor, and I soon find out which one I'm at. Using my finger to trace out possible routes, I can't resist a grin when I realize there's a part marked 'Secret Passageway' on it. With my destination decided, I fold up the map and go on the move.

Unfortunately.. or not really unfortunately, the entrance to that passageway happens to be in a room which happened to be walled up. Once again, I give thanks to Keine for the Keyblade and get to cutting, revealing the door that existed in the past. Once I'm within the field of the 'echo', as I term it, it won't vanish until I leave, so I enter without any worry.

The inside is clean, since I summoned the room from such a time, but it's still dark since it's located on the inside, so I light a candle I picked up along the way here. _I don't want to risk seeing what happens if I swap out Record Rewrite while I'm in this place. _

Five minutes later, I find the entrance; the wall the passageway is marked on the map has a painting above a fireplace, and the switch to open it is a well-camouflaged button on the corner of the frame. When I push it, the fireplace shifts to the side, revealing a small opening for me to crawl through.

It's a bit of a tight fit, but once I go about two meters, the passageway opens up enough for me to stand. A slight hum coming through the Keyblade tells me that I've left the echo's area, so I can't go back anymore.

I draw in a light breath. _Air's slightly stale and it's very dusty in here. And the darkness... _For a moment, I imagine all manner of things that are lying in wait within, starved of their natural prey by the closing of... _Okay, _I berate myself, _now you're just being paranoid._

Steeling myself, I advance onwards through the narrow corridor, occasionally pausing to consult the map. It's a bit hard to figure out how they all connect together, but judging from the map, there is a small area to which all the secret passageways connect, and it's not very far away. I take a left turn, then a right, descend a steep ramp, and finally emerge into a relatively wide room.

Descending a short flight of stairs, I raise up the candle, then lower it in exchange for Blaze Revive. With the aid of the much brighter light, I can see other similar stairs around the circular room I've entered, each leading to a different shadowy corridor, with strange designs on the walls. But what grabs my attention the most is the pedestal in the center, or rather, what is around the it.

_Keyholes? Those must be some really big... keys. _I look at Blaze Revive, then back at the keyhole. _No way... this can't be right. My Keyblade is supposed to be a part of myself. There's no way something that was built way before I was born could have the corresponding lock! _

_Then why do you sound like you're trying not to believe it? _My mind picks that moment to turn rebellious. _Try it._

Playing it cautious, I walk around the pedestal and count the keyholes in it. There are ten of them, plus one more on top of it. Closer examination reveals nothing, no writings or anything that can provide a clue about the origin of this pedestal.

_Well, why not? _I walk another round and eye the holes carefully, finally picking one that matches Blaze Revive. _Here goes._ I slide it in, and turn to the right.

There's a small click of something opening, but nothing else happens. When I turn it back, the thing clicks closed, and that's it.

_Well, that's anti-climatic. Am I supposed to turn all of them at once? But I only have one key... _I suddenly realize something about the designs on the walls. _What the... more keyholes? Just what _IS _this place?_

There is obviously some deep mystery about this place, but whatever it is, I don't have the ability to uncover it... or maybe I do. I bring out Record Rewrite and swing at the pedestal. Unexpectedly, the thing bounces off with none of the usual strike effect. I try using each of the others, but none of them even damage the thing, not even Life Eater or Wire Performance, and the wires shy away from the keyholes as though blocked by some invisible barrier.

_Well, this feels like one of those games where you know there's something of pivotal importance in the current scene... but you can't do a shit about it. Let's just go. But... _I stomp on the pedestal with a bit more savageness than I should. _I'll be back, and I'm going to find out just what is concealed here. Definitely!_

With that last bit of defiance, I go through one of the openings in the room, a different one from where I entered. A few minutes later, I'm back in the room, my defiant exit foiled by the collapse of that particular tunnel.

"Fuck." I express my irritation with that one word.

The next one I pick turns out to be a prizewinner; after I descend yet another level, I notice the sound of voices, and slow down my approach. For the first time since I entered, I'm seeing light. Not the kind that comes from torches fluttering slightly in barely moving air, nor the glow of some mystical light spell, just a single faint beam of light from the right. On closer look, it turns out to be from peepholes inside an alcove, with a small lever nearby.

_Hmm, the map says that this is one possible exit. Have to be careful not to trigger it. _I slip into the alcove and bend down a little so I can see through the holes. _Yep, Remi and her maid. _I have to strain my ears to hear them through the wall.

"Sakuya, how is he faring?"

"He is extremely resourceful and quick-witted. Perhaps he might actually be able to win."

Judging from Remilia's expression, she didn't like that. "And where is Flan now?"

"She's running around the second floor, complaining about how she can no longer smell him."

"So he managed to hide his scent. But how?"

"Patchouli-sama assisted him." Sakuya proceeds to tell Remilia about the loophole in my first rule.

"He must have planned that in advance." Remilia finally says after a long period of thought.

_You bet I did._

"Sakuya, how much longer does he have?"

Her maid consults the watch she's carrying. "It is ten minutes to ten. He has slightly over two hours left."

"He should be running low on stamina already." The vampire says so softly I almost miss it. "No human can outlast a vampire."

_But he can outthink them. _I feel my mouth shifting into a grin as I watch Remilia from her right.

"So, where is he now?".

Surprisingly, a blush appears on the cheeks of the perfect maid. "My apologies, Milady, but I cannot find him within the mansion." She replies with a touch of embarrassment

"Has he escaped?" Her mistress demands.

Sakuya shakes her head. "I asked Meiling. She can vouch that no one has gone past her ever since the game started."

"That means he's in here somewhere. But where?"

_I'mma in yer house, peepin' as yer thinkin'._

"Find him. I want to know where he went since he left the library." Remilia orders.

"As you wish, Milady." Sakuya curtseys and leaves the room.

I continue watching Remilia for a while longer. She's biting her nail, evidently frustrated about not knowing my location. I suddenly shiver involuntarily when she looks at me, for a moment it seems like she saw me. But then I realize she's probably looking at the wall I'm hiding behind, not me.

"What are you staring at, wolf?" She snarls.

_Jiiiiiii~ _(2) _I wonder what is disguising these peepholes... probably some picture? _I watch as she exhales and turns away, bouncing on the couch with a bothered air around her. _Well, I think I've seen enough for now. Time to explore further._

I withdraw carefully from the alcove doing my best not to make a sound, and continue onwards. As I follow the passageway, I realize that I'm gradually descending deeper. Once more I consult the map, but it doesn't seem to indicate where I am. For a moment I think I should leave the place to get my bearings, but I discard that idea almost just as quick; I'm in an extremely advantageous position, why should I give it up? That said, it's still boring to spend the next two hours camped out here, so I just continue moving, going deeper into the depths of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

_It's getting colder, _I realize, _whatever's heating the mansion probably doesn't reach here. And there's a stronger draft here. _Then suddenly the surface beneath my feet changes, and the walls on either side vanish; the passage has ended, and I can hear the sound of gurgling water. _A candle won't be enough here. _I blow it out and turn Blaze Revive on full blast.

"Hyeek!" Something squeaks, and I hear the sound of something falling over.

"Who's there?" I quickly quench most of the fire and turn in the direction of the sound, my Keyblade held up and ready.

"D-d-don't come any closer! Y-you'll regret it!" The voice is young and female, and sounds very scared.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone." I lower my weapon, but don't relax just yet. "Who are you? I thought the only people in this mansion are the vampires, the sorceress and their servants."

"I-I'm just here to check the heater..." comes the reply.

_Heater? Is this the place responsible for the hot water and heating? That means... _"You're a kappa?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, let me just say one thing..."

"What?"

"You're amazing!" I practically shout.

Clearly, that's a reaction she wasn't expecting. "Fueh?"

"The stuff you built is really high quality, and it's totally impressive!" I speak honestly.

"Really?" I hear her shuffle closer.

I nod, even though she probably can't see it in this darkness. "Yep. But how did you get in?"

"Um, there's an opening I swam in through."

"Woah, that's amazing... but don't you live near Youkai Mountain? Isn't it fair to come all the way down here? And I thought they don't need to be maintained so often."

"Oh, not at all!" She replies earnestly. "I like working on this heater to make sure it's functioning fine, and adding some new functions to it."

"Nice work ethic. By the way, what is your name? I'm Ikuto." I introduce myself.

Hearing my name seems to shock her greatly. "I-I-Ikuto? Th-th-that human that was in Aya's newspaper?"

_Uhh, what did Aya write about me again? I can't really recall. _"Yes." I admit. "And you are?"

"Ni-Nitori. Kawashiro Nitori."

_Woah, what are the chances? _"Nice to meet you. Uhm, could you on the lights or something? I can't see you at all."

"Just a moment." I hear the clinking of metal. "Where is it... umm... there!"

Bright light explodes throughout the entire place, forcing me to shield my eyes. I can hear Nitori apologizing, but the emotion running through my body seems to dull my senses as I come to an epiphany of sorts.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't believe this..." I breathe, lowering my hand.

"What?"

"An. Actual. Electric. Light." I pronounce each word slowly.

Nitori looks at the item in her hand. "Uh, yes, that's correct."

Though it's my first time seeing her, I know how she looks like thanks to the pictures in Akyuu's scrolls. A blue dress with lots of pockets and a green hat, with a matching large green backpack, plus the key at the center of her chest. Her small face framed by light blue hair reminds me of a puppy in a sense, given how nervous she looks.

"It's been so long since I've seen one." I extend my hand. "Could I take a look at it?"

"Yes, of course." She hands it over.

_It's really well made, I can't even tell where's the power source. _I marvel at the design of the rectangular piece of equipment. "Did you make this yourself?" Seeing her nod, I smile. "You really are amazing, Kawashiro-san!"

"Ah, no, I just tinker around with things to see how they work..." Her voice grows smaller with each progressive word.

"You really have a gift for this." I lift it up higher to shine the light around the place. "What's that?"

I can't really call the place I'm in a room, it's more like a cave, with rough walls and all, and a large part of it is occupied by water. The thing I'm referring to is a giant machine on top of a sturdy-looking metal frame a few meters behind Nitori, with lots of gauges, levers and switches. I can see an open panel with some wires and stuff, probably where Nitori was working. Extending out from the top are a large number of pipes, and I can hear the sound of water flowing through them.

"This is the boiler. It provides the mansion with hot water and heating." Nitori explains after looking at what I was referring to.

"And you handle this all by yourself?"

Her cheeks color slightly. "Not really, there are some others..." Once again, her voice dwindles with each word.

"Amazing..." I repeat, and she peeks at me with a slight smile on her face. "Wait, you were working in the dark? How can you see?"

"Oh! I was using these." She digs into one of the pockets on her dress and pulls out a set of goggles. "They help me see in the dark."

"Night vision goggles. Awesome..." I remember the light I'm holding. "Ah, here. Thanks for letting me take a look."

The kappa takes it back, keeping the goggles back in the same pocket she took them from. "You're welcome."

We stand there for a few minutes just taking peeks at each other, afraid to be caught staring and unsure of how to find a way to excuse ourselves. Eventually, I break it first.

"Um, could I... could I see how you work? I confess, I'm very interested."

"U-Uh, ah, s-sure." Her expression is flustered, but then she turns and heads for the machine.

I follow at a distance, careful not to intrude into her personal space. We climb up the metal steps, stopping in front of the open panel. I sit down behind Nitori, while she sets the light up so that she can see what she's working on.

"Um, okay, this pipe here? It's responsible for the..." And so, the mechanic starts explaining how the machine works.

_This will be a good way to pass the time. _I settle myself in for a lesson on the workings of a kappa machine. _And it's always nice to befriend someone new._

* * *

><p>(1) Nurarihyon is a youkai that intrudes into people's houses to eat and drink the food of that house.<p>

(2) Typical staring SFX in Japanese anime or manga

Once again, I'm writing this totally randomly. I'm half falling asleep as I type, and I just anyhow came up with the Keyhole pedestal and meeting Nitori. Probably won't bring them up again for a long time...

Anyway, I was in the middle of writing the library scene when I realized there were some errors, and had to go back to check. Turns out the library is located in the basement according to Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, but when I looked at the fighting stage from Touhou 10.5, I realized there was a set of doors higher up, so I altered the description accordingly.

The secret passages and the boiler room? I made those up, seeing as we don't really know enough about the SDM, it's quite fun to come up with all of that.

Look forward to the next chapter, folks!


	30. Chapter 29: SDM Tag 2: Confront & End

**After approximately two hours of evading Flandre, Ikuto manages to find a way into a secret passage. Following it all the way to the end brings him into an encounter with Nitori in the boiler room, who was there to tinker with the machine. Seeing the opportunity, he decides to take a rest as he observes her...**

* * *

><p>I have no idea how long I spent watching Nitori work on different sections of the machine, listening to her explanations and asking questions about it and the other stuff she's got, but I get a rude awakening to the situation I'm still in by the second worst person.<p>

"So this is where you were." The voice comes from all around us, making me and Nitori look around in alarm.

There's a sound of fluttering wings, and as I realize they come from bats. I spin around, and see them gathering near the ground in front of the machine, coalescing together to reveal Remilia. Nitori turns the light on where she's standing, forcing the vampire to cover her eyes.

"Point that somewhere else!" She growls.

Nitori immediately lowers the light. "Eek! I'm sorry!"

"I never thought you'd come all the way down here..." She steps closer. "Forcing someone like me to search for you... YOU ARROGANT HUMAN!" The vampire roars, emitting an intense red aura.

Fuck, for a moment, the pressure actually forces me back a step, while Nitori squeals and loses her balance, I hear her fall back onto her butt. But I don't retreat any further than that; since I came to Gensokyo, I made one simple resolution, and that was to never retreat. Never. Retreat.

I take a deep breath and force my stiff legs to move. "I have not broken any rules, Lady Remilia." I speak loudly as I go down the stairs.

Before I can react, she's suddenly in front of me, her nails digging into my throat with the inhuman strength of a vampire. "Rules? RULES? I'm a vampire! Your rules don't matter to me!" She rages.

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to fight against her. "You... agreed..." I choke out.

"I could rip out your throat right here." Remilia informs me softly, her grip tightening slightly.

_Gonna die gonna die gonna die! _"Hkk..." I can't reply at all.

I muster all the defiance in my soul and channel it into my eyes, looking down at her the best I can manage. How can I describe the way Remilia looks right then? The word terrible isn't barely enough; the way her pride as a vampire shines in those crimson eyes, looking down on my lower existence as a human, the fate of death promised by those exposed fangs, and the ominous red air emanating from her clothes, the issue of her size doesn't matter one bit against all that. And yet... I refuse to cower in the face of it.

"Hmph." Just as suddenly as she grabbed my throat, the pressure is gone, along with the aura. Remilia looks past me as I massage my throat. "You. Kappa. Get out."

"Huh? Bu-but my-"

"GET OUT!"

"Y-Yes!" Behind me, I can hear her grabbing her things, then a splash as she dives back into the water, taking the light with her.

That just leaves the two of us in this dark place, looking at each other as though waiting for something to occur to break the silence. Relative silence, considering the water moving through the pipes overhead. And also, I can only see her red eyes in this darkness, nothing else.

"You. You aren't like any of the other humans here." She finally says.

"You mean, Reimu and Marisa?" I can't resist asking.

"No, not them." She replies irritably. "I'm talking about the cattle in the village."

I nod. "My abilities are borrowed, you know." _Without my key, all I have is some amateur-level martial arts and a short-range radar of magic threads._

"But unlike them, you don't back down before me. Before the power of a vampire."

I shrug, still feeling the cockiness of surviving a close brush with death. "I... I don't feel the way most people do, I guess." I explain vaguely.

"Curious..." She mutters.

"I know. I can't even tell why I'm like that." _Probably forgot the cause for it._

"Tch. Anyway, I'll spare your life." I hear her shoes brushing against the floor as the red eyes vanish, results of her turning around. "But in exchange, we'll change the rules slightly."

"In what way?"

"I heard what you told Patchy. So you and Flandre are the _active_ players, isn't that right?" She asks slyly.

"Yeah." _Uh oh._

"Well, if my memory serves me right, you'll win only if you leave. But you can't leave until midnight has passed."

"Yeah..." _Uh oh, _I repeat in my mind, _I can see where she's going with this._

The red eyes appear again, looking sidelong at me. "Know this, Flandre will be waiting in the entrance hall for you. You try to leave by any other way, I will hunt you down, and kill you." She states it in a matter-of-fact way.

_Crap, I knew it. _"Aye, Lady Remilia." I acknowledge, knowing I have no other choice.

The eyes vanish once more. "Well, that's not for another hour. Have fun avoiding her until then. She's on her way right now." As she speaks, the sound of her voice spreads out from in front of me until it sounds like it's coming from all over.

All I see when I reignite Blaze Revive is the glimpse of a black wing flying out of the light.

Instantly, I rush over in the direction where I came from, but no matter how much I search, I can't find the opening I entered through. _Shit! Shit! Shit! _I consult the map again and again, but I can't find any indication of a secret passage that connects to the boiler room. _No other choice, just have to hope that she hasn't arrived yet! _With that, I locate the actual door to the room and run out from there.

I have the general area memorized already; after I ascend the staircase in front of me, there's another level to go before I reach the basement maze. I tear up it as fast as I can and spot the next one, and take it as well. Emerging into a corridor lit by torches, I start going for the shortest route to the next flight of stairs.

As I'm running towards a corner, I suddenly see a long shadow fall across the wall, but what immediately catches my attention about it is the shape of the wings from each side, only one of the two vampires has wings with things hanging from them. Instantly I put on the brakes, skidding to a stop, and start running in the opposite direction.

"Ah! There you are, Onii-chan!" I hear the shadow's owner call from behind.

_Shit. She saw me. No choice now. _I bring out Phantom Blossom and start channeling power into my legs. _Gradually so I get used to it, or else I'll end up overshooting and then she'll catch me!_

"Wait for me, Onii-chan!"

"You have to catch me first!" I call back as I speed away.

"Okay!"

_Not smart. _I rush through corridor after corridor, taking corners by going at and bouncing off the walls at an angle so as not to lose time turning. _Can't hear her footsteps over mine and the blood pumping in my ears, but I bet she's closing in... _The thought stirs me up even more, and I put on more speed, but when I turn the next corner, I realize that I made a very big mistake.

It's a freaking dead end; in my urge to run, I forgot the map and was running randomly, which resulted in me making a wrong turn somewhere, and the result is this: I'm trapped. Or am I? Spotting a door, I kick it open and jump through.

_Where is this? And why is the floor so rough? _I sacrifice the power for light and look around the place, spotting a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, I extend the flames to light the candles on it. _Pretty nicely decorated, pink walls and- _My eyes widen as I realize what I'm stepping on. _This is... this is... of all places to run into, it's Flandre's room! _

The only piece of furniture that isn't damaged in any way is a four poster bed with red sheets. Everything else is either ripped to shreds or has chunks missing from it, the remains scattered around the floor, testament to the mental instability of the child-like vampire that lived in this room for so many years.

Hearing footsteps pattering down the corridor snaps me out of it. _There's no way out of here except the door I came through. And that involves getting past the same vampire that did all this._

With no exit, all that's left is to hide behind the bed and wait for her to enter, which I do right away. The footsteps end outside the door, and slowly... very slowly... it swings open, revealing the silhouette of the crazy vampire girl known as Flandre Scarlet.

"I've got you now... Onii-chan." She says sweetly.

I'm... doomed.

* * *

><p>"The little boy ran and ran, but the wolf could smell the boy. With one big leap, the wolf JUMPED! And gulped the little boy down. The end."<p>

I hear clapping, and the squeaking of bedsprings as the girl on top bounces excitedly. "Another! Tell me another!"

_As tales go, that was quite made-up. But as long as she liked it... _"Well, for the next story, it's going to be a _silent _one. Like this."

I run the images from my mind and into Wire Performance, who happily moves the wires as I request. Really, it's a Keyblade that loves public displays. And with an audience, it's just going all out. Well, I really can't believe my current situation at the moment, so I review the earlier events once more in a separate part of my mind.

It was a crazy idea, but with no other choice, I gave it a try; using Wire Performance, I wove miniature characters and started putting on a 'puppet' play. Surprisingly, it worked, and I managed to capture her attention. And so, I'm telling one story after another, folktales, fairytales, made-up tales, scenes from movies, as well as coming up with different ways of putting on a show, like shadow puppetry with a thin piece of cloth and using the remains of her old toys to make costumes and such... needless to say, I'm running out of ideas. Also, my throat hurts from talking so much.

_Once upon a time, there were two sisters._

Which is why I'm finally using my last resort. With part of my focus on channeling the scenes into the wires, I'm slowly, quietly, stealthily crawling from around the bed to the door.

_The younger sister was a good girl that did as her older sister told her to._

By keeping close so that the edge of the bed, it blocks her angle of view, until I'm behind her.

_Then one day, her older sister brought a boy home, and told him to play with her little sister._

I spare one wire, my last, to reach up and open the door, pulling it gradually so it doesn't make any sound.

_The boy said, "Let's play tag! You have such a big house!"_

Once there's space enough, I wriggle through, slipping the wires underneath it so I can continue the performance.

_The little sister was happy, and agreed, and she chased him all over the place. _

Rather than walking, I continue crawling, using my elbow to make up for my occupied right hand.

_They went up and down, left and right, until she finally cornered him in her room._

Behind me, I can hear Flandre making excited noises, thinking there was going to be some gory end like my last few stories did.

_Then the boy said, "Wait, let me tell you a story.", and she said, "Yes."_

I'm nearly at the limit of the range already, and I carefully move into a crouch, then into a standing position.

_As he told her stories, the boy moved around, until he stood at the door._

I unfold the map and start plotting my route; a left, right, second left, then another left after a U-turn...

_And finally, with the last story... the boy escaped, and the chase continued. The end._

The moment I step out of range, the wire figures break down, Wire Performance's reels spinning at high speed to retract the components until every bit of it is completely wound back in. Then I swap it out with a lot of difficulty, since the glove had spread up to my elbow while I was working on the final performance, in exchange for Phantom Blossom, and I start running once more.

_Wonder how long before she realizes that I'm gone... or that I just trolled her. _In my mind, I can see her waiting silently for a few minutes, before looking around and asking 'Onii-chan?' _And then she'll come right after me again._

Suddenly I hear fluttering from overhead, and when I take a glance back, I see dozens of bats flying past me in the direction I came from. The next thing I know, I'm lying flat on my back, my front feeling like it's on fire.

_Ow. Ow ow ow owwwwww... _I rub the side of my face tenderly. _That's gonna leave one heck of a bruise... ow... I can't believe I ran into a wall... owwww... and at that speed..._ I cough weakly, curling up. _Too bad Blaze Revive only... fixes wounds... and mental stress..._

The image of Flandre standing in the doorway flashes through my mind, and my eyes snap open. I can't stay here any longer, or she's going to catch me. I roll onto my front, then push myself up slowly. When I hit the wall, it was with most of my front, right arm, left thigh, and the right side of my face, so I take one step at a time; right foot, left foot, hands on knees, and _stand_!

Once I'm back on my feet, I start staggering for the stairs. But though my body hurts, my mind is still working fine. _Bats... that means Remilia went to get Flandre. That means... ow... she's going to come for me soon. _

Thankfully, there's another secret passageway just one corridor down from the stairs to the ground level. Rather than waste time finding the switch, I cut it open with Record Rewrite and stumble in, falling to the ground in the darkness to catch my breath.

I'm not sure how long I spend in that quiet darkness, but it feels like twenty minutes to me before the last of the immediate pain is gone, leaving an ache deep in my bones. I can hear some movement outside, but there doesn't seem to be any sign that my hiding place has been revealed. Still, just in case, I struggle to my feet and start heading down the passage.

_First, light. _My hands don't feel in too good a condition at the moment, so I hold my Keyblade by its shaft using my teeth. _Unfold the map, unfold the map... okay, I'm around here... _My eyes go back and forth, linking up the places where the passageways connect. _Then I have to take the one on the right... left... up... down... facepalm. _I shake my head furiously. _This isn't the time for random thoughts!_

Anyway, luck is on my side. There's one which actually does come out in the entrance hall, and I can reach it within five minutes. Just a bit of walking, climbing, swimming, skydiving... I facepalm again. It seems like the impact earlier shook my head harder than I expected. Once again, I pass by the pedestal, but I make a point of ignoring it completely.

_Okay, this should be the place. Actually... _I stare at the wall in front of me. _There's no way I can mistake this. _Unlike the walls to my sides, the one in front of isn't a grey wall, but one that has red wallpaper on it. _Plus the floor stands out just as much. So this is the sort of secret passage where the entrance rotates around? _I step onto the polished floor and look around for the trigger switch. _Hmm, where is... ohh! Interesting, the switch is disguised as a part of the wood paneling._

Before I press it though, I finally lift the ban I put on myself; I bring out Burst Needle and reverse it, pressing its point against the side of my thighs, injecting one shot in each leg. The effect is immediate, the fatigue and pain in my legs vanish as though they never existed in the first place, replaced by overwhelming energy. With that settled, I lean back against the wall and press the switch, to be admitted into the final stage against the last boss.

The wall rotates silently, revealing the location of the exit; in order to escape, I have to go all the way across the entrance hall. After the darkness, even the dim light is enough to make me shade my eyes a little. But what freezes my blood is the voice next to me.

"Took you long enough." Remilia is leaning against the wall next to me, her arms crossed.

"Wait... how the..."

She lifts up a hand, and suddenly I feel a flapping against my back. Surprisingly, I don't show my usual reaction of panicking, but stay still as a bat suddenly flies from around me to get absorbed into Remilia's bat wings.

"I never expected you to use the secret passageways." She remarks, and moves away from the wall. "But you deserve to be commended for surviving until now."

I follow behind her. "Don't talk like it's the end of the road for me."

"Isn't it?" I hear her sigh. "Well, you'll soon learn the truth with your body."

She stops, but I continue walking past her, towards the little girl and the maid waiting in the center of the room. I stop at least ten meters away, not daring to get any closer.

"I've had a lot of fun today, Onii-chan." Flandre says happily, like a child who's had an enjoyable time at an amusement park.

"That's good, Flandre." _Wish I could say that same about myself._

"The time now is five past twelve. If Flandre-sama catches Ikuto, it will be her win. If Ikuto can leave the mansion without getting caught, it will be his win." Sakuya closes her watch and steps back. "Ready... and START!"

At her signal, both of us move, Flandre dashing straight forward, me dodging to the right. She follows me with direct movements, easy to read, yet with her extreme speed, all I can do is dodge them. If I tried to go for the exit right away, she would catch up before I could even get within five meters of it; that's how much of an impact her speed has at this close range, even with Burst Needle's help.

_Backsteps, sudden direction change!_ I barely avoid Flandre's grasping fingers as I pass her on the left. _Have to keep her in sight at all times..._

"Flan, you won't catch him by yourself." Remilia calls from the side.

_Gah! Don't give advice!_ I'm so focused on dodging I can't even spare the time to rebuke her sister. _Pivot on left, right, left, right switch to circle around behind her! _I suddenly realize that Flandre has stopped.

"By myself?" Flandre asks, puzzled. "But I'm the only..." Her eyes widen. "Oh! I see now. Thanks, Onee-sama!"

_Uh oh._ I think when I see her pull out a card. _I'm so screwed._ I can already guess what spell card she is going to use, and she proves me right.

"Taboo: Four of a Kind!"

The card explodes into particles of light, and between one moment and the next, Flandre suddenly divides into four perfect copies of herself. Now instead of one super-fast vampire, I have four of them to keep track of.

"Burst Needle, more power!" I quickly inject myself in my shoulders. _I don't want to risk another heart injection._

"We're-" The one to my left says.

Another jumps high above me. "Coming-"

"For you-" The third one zigzags around to my right.

"Onii-chan!" The last one comes straight for me.

_I can't see any way out of this... but there is! I can feel it! _I start swaying from side to side, forcibly relaxing my body. _Instinct... the instinct of avoiding... of no contact._ All the time I spent in my original world dodging around people, combined with the skills gained with the experience of avoiding danmaku... _I can see the path now!_

I swerve to the left, right at the Flandre coming from that direction. At the last moment, I twist my body and let myself fall to the side, passing between the two clones. It's a technique I can't really explain well, but I used to hear that sometimes my body moves as though it's liquid, and it's hard to predict. Whatever the case, it helps me to find the route of escape, and take it.

"Wow! Onii-chan, that was quick- Oof!" The one that came straight at me first suddenly goes down under the force of the one who jumped.

"How about me?" The zigzagging one switches her direction to come for me directly.

Thrusting hand, twist to the side. Sweeping grab at the upper body, duck and weave, and step past. From the corner of my eye, I can see something red hurtling towards me. With three spinning steps, I dodge around the fourth clone and continue making my way to the exit, staggering backwards.

"What do you think, Sakuya?" I dimly hear Remilia speak.

"He looks like he's drunk with those movements, Milady."

Remilia chuckles. "Indeed he does. But yet he has managed to avoid all of Flandre's clones so easily."

As I watch, the two Flandres untangle themselves from each other and join the fray once more. I spent a while slipping in and out of their range, like a piece of paper being buffeted around by the wind. Occasionally, two clones will collide against each other, but they soon break and come after me again. But seeing that has given me an idea; I have a chance if I use them against each other. I snap out of my state of non-thinking and start running for the side. When I risk a look back, all four of them are in close pursuit.

When I cut to the side suddenly, they do the same, so now they're running after me in a straight line. Now that they're set up, I continue heading straight for the wall right in front of me. _Time to act like a ninja. _I can understand the physics of wall-running somewhat. It's mainly about the direction of the force exerted against the surface based on Newton's Third Law, and with all the training at Eientei, I've gotten pretty good at controlling that.

"Oooh~ Ungh!" I hear from behind me as I take step after step up a vertical surface.

_Reaper's Toll! Repel!_ The moment my Keyblade contacts the wall, I'm launched through the air with incredible force. As I flip through the air, I catch a glimpse of all the Flandres piled up against the wall; the first one might have managed to stop before hitting the wall, but even for a vampire, coming to a dead stop with the speed at which they were moving isn't possible.

I barely managed to get my feet under me before I land, but the force still manages to carry me for a great distance across the hall. I glance at the exit, and start running for it.

"Oops! A bat escaped from me!" I hear as I move.

The next thing I know, something tangles in my legs, causing me to fall over. Like that time in the basement, my momentum causes me to hit the floor hard.

Through a haze of pain, I hear a chorus of voices. "Thanks, Onee-sama!"

_Damn you, Remilia. _I turn over on my back to see all four of them coming at me, two in mid-leap, the other two from the sides. Still holding Reaper's Toll, I panic and swing at the ones in the air.

"Wha- Oof!" Repelled by each other, they fly apart, crashing into their counterparts on the ground. Surprisingly, three of them suddenly disappear, leaving only the real one.

_That was a lucky shot. Any earlier and the ones on the ground would have caught me, any later and the ones in the air would have touched me first. _I roll to my feet and start running again. _Looks like her spell card expired, another bit of luck for me. Better check with Tewi later._

"Oh no! Another bat escaped me!"

_You don't get to play that trick twice. _I think grimly, going into a spin to swing low as I run. _Bat, meet Phantom Blossom. _

_Tch, he got it. _I hear Remilia speak in my mind. _He's going to escape at this rate._

It has been quite a while since I encountered the effect of glimpsing my opponent's mind by cutting her attacks, so I falter for a moment. It gives Flandre time enough to catch up yet again, and I barely react in time by swapping over to Wire Performance and weaving a net. Still, she hits it before I can clench my fist, and her fingers come within an inch of my face.

"That was close... Onii-chan!" Flandre grins at me through the mesh, showing her fangs.

I nod and force myself to grin back. "Be seeing you!" I tell her jokingly.

With that, I launch her across the room with the net, keeping the force low so that she doesn't hit the opposite wall too hard. Without waiting to see the results of that, I start running for the exit again. But between one moment and the next, the open doors suddenly close before me, sealed by a lock.

"Oh, thanks for closing the doors for me, Sakuya! I was feeling a bit cold!" Remilia remarks in an exaggeratedly loud voice.

I shoot a dirty look in her direction, and bring out Record Rewrite. I hear gasps of shock when I demonstrate its effect, but suffer no further resistance as I dash past before the door reforms into its current state. Just as I think I can relax a little...

There's a loud sound of wood splintering, and I hear Flandre's voice. "Not yet, Onii-chan! I'll catch you for sure!"

_What the hell! She ripped through those thick doors! _Part of my mind is in disbelief at the cost it will take to repair doors that big, but the majority is still focused on escaping. _Just a bit more! Just a bit more!_

"Meiling! Stop him!" Remilia's voice cracks across the grounds.

"Huh? Wha? A-Ah, yes, Mistress!" A figure steps out from behind the gate and obstructs my way.

_This is going from bad to worse! _I risk a look back, and my eyes widen at seeing Flandre jumping at me. _HOW THE HECK DID SHE GET SO CLOSE!_ I quickly react by dropping to the floor, letting her pass over me.

"Ah, Flan-sama!" I hear from ahead. "Ah, wait, stop rubbing them!"

_I'd like to wonder about what exactly are they doing, but I think it's time for me to claim my victory!_ Pushing myself up into a crouch, I drive Eternal Inheritance into the ground. "Up, up and away!"

The pillar bursts from beneath my feet and lifts me high up, beyond any of the previous heights, around twice the height of the gate itself. But there is a sudden flash of red from below, and the pillar rocks dangerously, forcing me to hold onto my Keyblade to keep my balance.

"Don't get cocky, human!" Remilia's voice snaps from below.

"Why the hell do you want me to lose so much!" I yell back, as the thing starts to topple over.

"It's not about winning or losing." This time, her voice speaks from behind me. "It's about letting Flan have fun."

I spin around, drawing Eternal Inheritance out from the pillar to strike at her. She catches it easily, her hand barely even budging under the force. Our eyes meet, me crouched atop a pillar of stone, she floating in midair, in the middle of reconstituting herself from crimson bats from the waist down.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but I've got an early day tomorrow, so I'd like to get some sleep!"

Her eyes widen when I switch out for Reaper's Toll, forcing her to let go in surprise. "What the-!"

"See you some other time, Lady Remilia." I look down at where Flandre is waiting. "It's my win this time, Flandre!" I yell.

With that, I push off the pillar as hard as I can and hit myself in the chest with the same side that was in contact with Remilia's hand. Once again, I'm sent hurtling through the air, the vampire's shocked expression rapidly shrinking in the distance. Then the effect of gravity takes hold.

_Hmm... I seem to be forgetting something... _I think, rubbing my chin with my left hand as the wind blows past my face. _Landing? Nope, I'm already prepared to do so on my feet. Then... what is it? What am I..._ My eyes widen as I finally realize what it is. _Landing locati-_

Cold. Utter, numbing cold. It washes over me with the blue force of a tidal wave, robbing my skin of all its warmth. I try to breathe, but my body has locked up; it won't listen to me. All I can do is just let myself sink downwards, unable to do anything but see the dark blue get eaten up by the encroaching black.

_Maybe I should... have just let... myself lose... _My eyes slowly close. _I haven't... had... enough... fun... yet..._

* * *

><p>"...i-cha... -nii-chan..." I can hear someone saying loudly, and my body starts shaking.<p>

"Huh... whuh?" I mumble. _Cold... so cold..._ I can't feel most of my body; even opening my eyelids feels like a extremely tough job.

"ONII-CHAN!"

_Heat! _Warmth suddenly spreads around my body, burning away the chill that was locking down my body. _Heat! Delicious, delicious heat! _I bolt upright, my eyes flying open.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! You're on fire!" There's a short pause. "It's not hot." The voice remarks with a bit of surprise.

_Who's hugging me? Flandre? _I turn my head, squinting to try and see through the flames and steam. "What?"

"What the hell were you thinking, diving into the lake in winter?"

_Remilia? _I shake my head a few times, then refocus on Flandre. _Huh? I thought I hit the water... how did I get out?_

"Flandre-sama pulled you out, Ikuto." Sakuya informs me. "And what is all that fire on you?"

_Fire... oh. _I lift up my right hand with Blaze Revive clutched in its grip, which is practically immolated and steaming. _Thank you, Mokou. I should be fine now. _The flames vanish instantly as the Keyblade reverts back to Future Gazer, and the cold strikes me again, though less intense this time.

When I look around, I realize that I'm on the bridge, with a wet puddle beneath me and surrounded by the standing figures of Remilia, Sakuya and Meiling with Flandre kneeling next to me, her clothes damp. It takes a while to piece the pieces together, but I figure it out soon enough. Guess I came close to dying back then.

"Onii-chan!"

"Whoof!" The air in my lungs explode out with the force of Flandre squeezing me.

"Really, just how desperate are you to win, Ikuto?" Remilia sighs, poking me with her foot.

"Stop that." I use my arm to push her leg away. "You too, Flandre. I'm fine."

"Really?" She asks with a tone that tells me she's still worried.

"Yeah. Thanks for pulling me out." I pat her on her head, and she hums contentedly.

"I've never seen Flandre go that far before. To think she would dive in after you..." Remilia closes her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose with two fingers. "Just what did you do, Ikuto?"

"No idea. To tell the truth," I run my hand through my hair and find it still a bit wet. "I wasn't really thinking about anything..."

The vampire makes a rude noise. "Clearly. Sakuya."

"Yes, Milady." Sakuya turns to me and Flandre. "As Ikuto has managed to leave the mansion grounds before getting caught, the game of tag has ended in his victory!"

I hear clapping. "Yay! That's great! Hooray! Uhh..." Meiling falters when we all stare at her.

Remilia turns back to me. "Just ignore her."

"I'll do just that." Realizing that I've been petting Flandre all this while, I take my hand off her head. "Flandre, did you have fun?"

She nods repeatedly. "Yeah! I had lots of fun today! Let's play again!"

I chuckle, not needing to force it. "Not tonight. But next time, okay?"

The little girl gives me the widest, joy-filled grin. "Yeah!"

"I think I understand now..." I hear Remilia murmur.

"Anyway... here's a consolation prize." Once again, I bite my finger hard enough to draw blood.

"Oooh!" Even before I stick my finger out, her head dives down to clamp onto it. "Mmm~"

"You're spoiling her."

I look up at Remilia and Sakuya. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Not at all. Just saying." She replies innocently.

Sakuya suddenly turns away, covering her mouth with one hand. I can't be sure with the moonlight, but it looks like she's trying to hold back laughter, with the way her shoulders are trembling. On the other hand, Meiling is just staring with her jaw wide open. Feeling a bit self-conscious, I pull my finger out a bit earlier than I planned.

"Ah..." Flandre makes a sound of disappointment.

"You had a lot already." I say firmly, temporarily switching over to Blaze Revive to repair the wound. "That's all you get for tonight."

"Okay..." She sits back

I get to my feet. "Well, it's been fun and all, but I better be getting home."

"Here, you dropped this in the hall." Sakuya holds out my pack of stuff.

_Woah, when did I drop that? I never noticed at all. Would totally suck if it had gotten wet, though. _"Thanks." I say, accepting it from her.

Remilia nods. "Be off with you then."

_Huh, that's it? No 'I'm sorry for putting you through all this' or 'Be careful on the way back'? _I nod in response and start walking. Two seconds later, I turn back. "Oh yeah, I forgot..."

"What is it?"

I tell them about the two separate parties. "Well, you're invited." I finish lamely.

"We'll think about it." The vampire replies, and her servants nod.

Flandre doesn't reply, but it soon becomes clear why. "Zzz..." She's snoring in the same kneeling position.

"I suppose she must have been quite tired out." Sakuya picks up the little vampire. "I'll put her to bed, Milady."

"Yes, thank you, Sakuya." Her mistress turns back to me. "I won't underestimate you next time. Ikuto."

_Just what does she mean by that? _"Of course." I reply, not knowing how else to reply. "Well... bye."

With that, I start out on my journey back. I expect them to say something else, but I end up reaching the opposite shore without any interruptions. _Still... _I eye the darkness of the forest with a bit of distaste. _When I'm faced with this, I'm kind of tempted to spend the night at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Except it sounds like they're starting to party. _I'm kind of a light sleeper, so I probably wouldn't be able to sleep in those conditions.

Well, it's either to go back or to press on, and I pick the latter. I equip Eternal Inheritance along the way to deal with the remainder of the water soaking my clothes. Apparently the flames only deal with the surface, so my underwear is still wet, and that's not exactly the most comfortable feeling.

"Food~"

Without even having to think about it, I block the incoming jump with Eternal Inheritance. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit worked up after all that activity just now... so this poor youkai is going to help me release some of that stress.

Though I can't really see well with the shadows of the trees, I can tell where the youkai's head is, and start smacking it around with the flat of my Keyblade.

"Ow! Hey! Ow! Stop!" It protests. "Stop that!"

"Haaa..." I exhale a bit, then unleash a heavy punch to the midsection with my entire body put into it. "HA!"

"Ggh!" It grunts, and keels over to the side totally unconscious.

"Whew..." _Okay, that's enough. Time to go._

It's amazing how much power emotions can instill into your attacks. That... and it seems like Flandre's psychotic character is rubbing off on me; I never would have counterattacked so viciously in my usual condition. Whatever the case, I suffer no further attacks on my way into the village, but I don't put away the Keyblade until I'm well within the village's boundaries.

The human village at night isn't the quiet type one would expect; there are youkai who happen to lead more nocturnal lives, and of course there would be shops that cater to these late-night customers, so the place is still lit up, though not as brightly as the evening version.

Of course, one of them happens to be Boss's shop. I can hear the noise of the customers as they knock back drink after drink as I'm passing by, but for once, I don't go in. Up above, a light in one of the windows go out, indication that someone up there is having some... quality time in the dark. Which reminds me, I had planned to take Youmu here so we could have the same sometime, except that the opportunities have been so few...

When I reach Keine's school, I'm not surprised to find the place dark. _She's probably asleep. I owe her an apology for making her worry. But more than anything right now, I want to show her that I'm alright._ I put my hand on the door and slide it open.

"I-Ikuto?" I hear from the darkness.

"I'm back, Keine."

"Ikuto!" I hear the sound of running feet, and then she emerges from the shadows to hug me tightly. "I was so worried!"

I don't say anything, but just close my eyes and hug her back tightly, breathing in her scent. All the desperation, the panic, the crazy rushing from a few hours ago, they all seem like a dream right now. Just by being here with her, it makes all of it seem so inconsequential.

"Are you really okay?" She asks, her voice muffled against my chest.

"Yeah." I stroke her hair with my left.

"You must be tired, let's get you into the bath quickly."

I resist her pull. "Wait. Keine, I want you to follow me for a while."

"Follow you? Where?"

I smile, feeling a bit fuzzy. "Just come with me."

"My shoes..."

"Never mind them. Here." I sweep her off her feet and carry her bridal style.

"I-Ikuto! S-someone will see!" She protests in a manner that I find cute.

"They know we're dating, remember?" I remind her. "Don't worry, it isn't far."

The place I'm bringing her too is a small area behind some houses, and the only thing present there is a well that is covered with wooden planks. I put her down on the edge and sit next to her, looking up at the night sky.

"What did you bring me here for, Ikuto?" Keine asks softly.

"To be honest, I just felt like it." _Spontaneous actions... sometimes they aren't so bad. _"On my way back, I happened to glance up at the sky, and I just thought it looked pretty, so I wanted to show it to you."

Indeed, in the modern world, it seemed like for every electric light that was switched on, there would be one less star in the sky. In Gensokyo, the entire night sky was dotted with them. And tonight, with the sky clear of clouds, it's like looking at diamonds on velvet.

"You're right... it does look pretty."

"Hey look, there's Deneb. Then that's Altair. And Vega." I point out.

Keine chuckles. "You're making those up, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I don't know a single thing about the stars." I admit, lying down on the planks.

"Hey, it's dangerous. What if they break?" She rebukes me.

"The wood they use here is pretty strong. So I'm not really worried. Besides," I point upwards once more. "I can see more of it this way. C'mon, you lie down too."

"Hya!" Keine squeaks when I pull her down to lie on my chest. "Hey! Don't do that." Despite her words, her tone lacks any force in it.

We spend a while just watching the stars silently, but eventually, the first one to break the silence first is her.

"Say, Ikuto..."

"Hm?"

"You'll move on eventually, won't you? You'll go and live with someone else."

_So she's worried about that. _"Yeah." My grip on her shoulder tightens slightly.

"You'll fall for someone else, and then..."

I interrupt her. "No, I'm not going to forget about you." But I don't make any move to deny the part about falling for someone else. How can I do otherwise when I already know how untrustworthy my own character is?

"Ikuto, you..." She suddenly shakes her head mid-sentence. "Never mind."

Another period of silence.

"Keine."

"Mm?" She mumbles sleepily.

"I love you." I whisper. _Guess worrying about me must have tired her out._

"Mmm~ Me... too..."

As Keine's breathing starts to slow into the rhythm of one who's asleep, I continue watching the sky with thoughts running through my mind. _Times like this are precious, I should treasure them. But as for the matter of having to move on eventually... maybe I should talk to Yukari about it? But she's not going to be awake until winter has ended. _I sniff a bit, breathing in the smell of Keine's hair. _At the very least, I want to have memories I won't regret._

"Ah... Ah... Achoo!" I suddenly sneeze.

"Mmm... it's cold..." Keine confirms it as well.

Grinning, I get up and pick up Keine's slumbering form. "Let's go home." _Hope I don't fall sick tomorrow. That would suck._

* * *

><p>Well, a slightly shorter chapter than I intended, but I think I managed to deliver it quite well. As usual, I'm writing this totally off the top of my head, barely considering the personalities of the Touhou characters... but it works out well enough, so... meh. Remi appears like a tsundere to me...<p>

There's not much I can really say here... Ikuto's character? I suppose it would be similar to Kaito's from Xavic's Unparalleled Ayakashi Incident, as shown in his latest chapter. Except there are some differences which I intend to explain very soon.

Anyway, please give reviews. I'm going to try and write more fun scenes in future, but as school is starting in two days, please give me motivation by posting reviews.


	31. Chapter 30: The Underground of Memes

"I'll be going off now." I lift up the small packet I'm carrying. "Thanks for making lunch for me again."

"Come back safely."

I nod, leaning in to kiss Keine on the cheek before setting out for the shrine. Today is the day I'm going to the underground with Tenshi, and to tell the truth, I'm really looking forward to seeing how it's like, despite the inherent dangers. Suika's description of Yuugi makes her sister oni out to be a really fun person, so she would be the second person on the list of the people I want to meet the most while I'm down there.

_Still, _I sneeze as I reach the bottom of the stairs to the shrine, _I think I'm getting a cold. Feels like the start of a fever to me. Too late to turn back and grab any medicine, just have to hope it doesn't affect me too much. _Now that I'm looking back on last night's events, taking a dunk in the icy cold waters of the lake was really a big mistake.

Sighing, I turn off the gravity belt. No point overexerting myself and weakening my body's immune system. Similarly, I don't take the stairs three at a time, but walk up slowly. When I reach the top, I see that I'm not the first to reach.

"Ah! You're finally here! I was waiting so long for you, you know!" Tenshi's greeting is loud, and slightly irritating.

The shrine maiden is a short distance away, sweeping the grounds. "Ikuto, please do something about this annoying intruder." Reimu looks at me pointedly.

And surprisingly, Suika is awake and moving around. "Hey hey, you better hurry. It's going to be quite a long trip."

"Got it." I join the Celestial, who has one of Reimu's yin-yang orbs floating near her. _Huh... cool visual trick. The orb looks the same no matter what angle I'm seeing it from._

"Let's test the yin-yang orb first." Suika lifts up a matching orb. "_Hello, hello. Can you hear me?_" A slightly crackly version of her voice comes out from the one near Tenshi. "Alright. You're set."

Without Tenshi being able to see, I point stealthily at the other orb and give a thumbs up with a questioning expression. _Is it working okay?_

Suika nods, which could have been a signal for us to set off.

"Oh yeah... where's the entrance, by the way?" I finally remember to ask.

"Ah, that's right." Reimu thinks for a while. "Well, there's a hole near Youkai Mountain, somewhere near this big sunflower field. But it's winter, so it's just a plain field right now."

I stare at her for a few seconds. "You forgot where it is?"

"No, I did not forget where it is! It just takes me a while to recall."

"Never mind that! Let's just go already!" Tenshi interrupts impatiently.

"Sure, sure." I nudge Tenshi with my elbow. "Give me a stone to ride on, please."

She brings it out without replying, and I take a seat on it. Unexpectedly, she doesn't bring out one for herself. When I ask her why, she snaps back about it being troublesome for her to control two stones at the same time.

_Hmm, she's really impatient._ "Well, Reimu, Suika, see you later."

Reimu nods while Suika waves energetically. "Okay, have a safe trip! We'll be in touch with this!"

And then we're off, flying through the sky. I rearrange the scarf that Keine insisted I bring to protect my face from the chilly wind, thankful that I listened to her and dressed warm for this. Slightly above me, Tenshi is flying towards Youkai Mountain, her skirt flapping in the wind. I peek upwards, but given the angle of her body, it's not possible to see her panties.

_Not that I want to see them. I'm just keeping an eye out, making sure that she's not letting her guard down around me..._ I rearrange myself on the keystone, looking out over Gensokyo. _Hmm, is that Yuuka's field? Looks rather bare at this time of the year, but that's to be expected._ _Oh._

"There."

"Huh?" Tenshi slows down, looking back at me.

I point. "The hole. It's down there."

"Where- Ah! Okay, we're going down!"

I barely manage to grab onto the rope around the keystone before it suddenly descends, fast enough that I get that irritating freefall feeling. It doesn't help that I'm still feeling a little uncomfortable with my cold starting to set in.

The hole in the ground is pretty wide, with enough free space for a radius of about five meters around us as we pass through. As expected, the light from the entrance isn't enough, and I feel the keystone slow down.

"It's dark, I can't see anything." I hear Tenshi complain.

"Here." I light up Blaze Revive.

Tenshi floats down some distance away, her eyes sparkling. "Ohh! Thanks... uh, what was your name again?"

_If I could reach her, I would definitely flick her forehead! Except... I probably would be the same if I didn't have foreknowledge of the people here. _Instead I just keep it to myself. "Ikuto."

"Thanks, Ikuto!"

With me providing illumination, we continue our journey deeper underground. I can see things moving in the shadows, but as they're avoiding the light, I can't get a good view of what they are. Up ahead, Tenshi is muttering about having to go through so much trouble, but she's looking about with interest as well. I grin a little, then sneeze yet again.

"I don't see how this can be fun." She asks after a long period of silence.

"We're only just getting started here. Just wait and see."

"_Hello? Can you hear me, Ikuto?_" Suika's voice crackles through the orb.

"Suika? Yeah, I can." I answer.

"_Oh good. Was it you I heard sneezing?_"

"Yeah." I sniff noisily.

"_Maybe Yamame might help with that._"

_Yamame? Oh, Yamame Kurodani, the tsuchigumo _(1). "I'll ask her. Right now we're going through a dark tunnel."

"And it's going on forever!" Tenshi interjects.

"_Don't worry, don't worry._" Suika says drunkenly. "_It doesn't last that long._"

Just then the tunnel widens, and I can see a soft blue-green glow from the surrounding rocks. "Tenshi."

The Celestials looks over her shoulder. "What?"

"There's enough light here, so I'm putting out the flames."

She harrumphs, but nods. "Okay."

"_See? Yamame should be just up ahead._"

Sure enough, before we even go another hundred meters, we stop once more. This time, the interruption comes in the form of the discussed youkai.

"Humans? But only one of you is flying."

"_Is that her?_"

"Looks like it."

The blond girl seems to be floating, except in a more stationary manner than I've ever seen. Eventually I figure out her secret by the small glint of a silver thread she's hanging from. Her brown dress swells outwards past her torso, giving the impression of a bug's big butt.

_Well, the sight of actual spider legs would complete the look._ I sneeze again. _Now I just have to ask-_

"Is this the way to the Underground City?" Tenshi demands.

"Why yes it is. May I know what you're going there for?"

"None of your business."

I groan inwardly. _That manner of talking is going to get us into a fight._ "Erm, excuse me."

Both of them look at me, but it's Yamame who responds. "Yes?"

"Actually, I'm the only human here. We're here on an errand."

"An errand?"

I nod. "Yeah. Tenshi, put me closer, it hurts my throat to speak loudly like this."

"Hmph. Fine."

She moves me about a meter in front of the spider youkai, and I continue talking. "A friend of ours asked us to get her some sake from the underground." I explain, then sneeze again.

"She's not _my_ friend." I hear Tenshi mutter.

"I see." Yamame looks at me curiously. "You're ill, aren't you?"

"I'll heal." I look at her. "Unless you can help?"

"Of course. Manipulating diseases is my ability." She suddenly approaches, and before I realize, stabs me in the shoulder with a long nail.

"Ow!"

"Hey! What are you doing!" I suddenly find myself pulled backwards. "You're trying to attack us?"

"I'm simply helping this human. Are you some youkai from above the earth?" The tsuchigumo's tone makes it clear that she doesn't like Tenshi.

"No, but I'm the one who's going to beat you unconscious!" Before I can say anything, the battle begins.

"_Sounds like a fight._" Suika observes.

"It is." _Since they're in midair, and I can't fly, there's no way I can stop it._ "And I haven't even thanked Yamame yet."

Indeed, my body's feeling much better now. It's like I'm already recovering from it; I might not be at one hundred percent yet, but it's a great improvement from how I was before I got stabbed. Then I realize something.

"Wait, you said 'sounds like'. Doesn't it mean-"

"_Oh, that. Yeah, we're setting up the screen right now._" Suika confirms that they don't have visual yet.

"Oh. Well, you aren't missing anything."

"Missing what?" Tenshi comes back in time to catch my last words.

"Nothing. Let's go."

As we resume our travels, I look down at the unconscious Yamame. _Man, that was FAST! Cirno's not going to be able to get the drop on her next time. _Even though she can't hear me, I shout my thanks downwards, grateful that she helped heal my cold. _Well, I'll just thank her again on the way back too. For now, let's continue on!_

"_Oh, there we go! I can see you, Ikuto!_"

I wave at the orb. "Too bad it's only one way."

"What are you talking about back there?"

The orb flies forward to match pace with Tenshi. "_Just making small talk. Hurry up, or else the youkai in charge of the bridge will wake up._"

"Huh! I'll just beat her like the last one." Tenshi increases her speed.

The orb flies back to me. "_Hmm. Looks like that worked._" Suika's voice sounds pleased.

"What did?" I ask softly so Tenshi doesn't hear.

"_You'll see._ _Just don't tell her to take it easy or anything like that._"

_Hmm, if I think about this... Tenshi that isn't reined in is like a shaking red cloth before bulls. So that's what Suika's planning._ "Ah, I see." I murmur. "You're pretty sneaky, Suika."

"_Ehehe~ Thanks._"

"So? Who else is there?" I can hear something beneath the static; it sounds like a bunch of people talking.

"_There's Reimu, Marisa, the mansion's maid and witch, the small rabbit, Yukari..._"

"Wait, Yukari?" I interrupt.

"_Yes, it's me~_" A voice I never expected to hear comes through the orb.

"I thought you were hibernating!"

"_My dear Ikuto, how could I sleep when you're planning something as fun as this? Besides,_" There's a sound of splashing water. "S_oaking in a hot spring has energizing effects._"

I facepalm. _Seriously, what the hell? _

After a long period of travel, Tenshi breaks the silence again.

"Hey, is this the bridge?"

I look up just as the keystone starts to descend sharply again. The floor of the cave is flattening out, in a manner that isn't due to natural rock formation. And up ahead I can see a big bridge made of stone. We start to slow down, and finally stop in the center.

"Isn't she here?" Tenshi asks impatiently.

"I don't know. Don't ask me."

"_She should be._" Suika comments in a puzzled tone.

"Maybe she's asleep." I suggest.

"_Maybe._" The oni agrees.

"Well, she's not here, so how about we-"

Thump.

"Go..." My voice trails off.

The sound of muffled laughter comes from the orb. "_Pfft!_"

Tenshi, still looking around away from me, grunts and takes to the air again. "Fine. Let's go. She's probably scared of meeting me anyway."

"Doubt it." I mutter, feeling the weight on my back.

"I want to ride on the stone too..." A voice filled with jealousy complains into my ear.

Apparently, Parsee Mizuhashi, the youkai of the bridge _was_ present earlier. Like Suika described, she always viewed anyone who crossed the bridge with jealousy, and in my case... she's jealous about me riding on the keystone. Which is probably the reason she suddenly jumped on my back, her arms slung loosely around my shoulder while her thighs are pressed into my lower back. However, she doesn't seem to have any breasts to speak of.

"Well, it doesn't really bother me." I murmur out loud.

"Well, it does bother me." Parsee replies, not realizing what I'm thinking of.

"Are you talking back there again?" Tenshi calls back to us.

"Yes!" I reply.

"Yes, I am too!"

I facepalm again as laughter comes from the orb. _What the hell is she replying for? _

Tenshi slows down. "Wait, who's that with you?"

"It's nobody." I try to make an excuse.

"I'm not nobody!" Parsee yells in my ear.

That did the trick, the Celestial stops and turns to confront us. "Alright, just who is that with you?" She demands, floating close enough to touch my face, peering at my passenger.

"Um, well, this is..." I suddenly spot something flare up behind her. "Look out!"

I grab Tenshi by her sleeve and push her aside. _Oops, I forgot that I'm also in the way of that, and I can't dodge on this keystone._ I realize my mistake when I see the incoming flame. _Eternal Inheri-_

"Look out!" Parsee yells, and pushes me aside.

Luckily for me, I'm still holding onto Tenshi, so I don't end up falling all the way down to the ground. But Parsee isn't as lucky, the fire hits her head-on, blasting the poor youkai off the keystone and into the shadows back where we came from without even giving her the chance to scream.

"_What's going on?_" Suika asks.

_Bet she can see all of it, but she's just keeping up appearances. _"We're under attack by blue fire!"

"_Ah, that's probably Kisume. Look for a bucket hanging near the ceiling._" She advises.

"A bucket, eh?" Tenshi smirks, and lifts me back on top of the stone to avoid another blast of fire. "Just leave it to me!" She flies upwards and forwards.

Before I can even get into a stance, there's a brief sound of conflict, and Tenshi comes flying back, looking like the cat who ate the pigeon. Like before, she defeated that youkai so quickly I barely had time to do a thing.

"That was easy." I comment.

"They're no match for a Celestial." Tenshi retorts proudly.

"By the way, what about the other one?" I look over my shoulder where Parsee should have landed.

"_Parsee? Ah, don't worry about her. We youkai are a hardy bunch. Besides, Kisume's fire isn't that hot._"

_But why the heck did she push me aside? _I recall the events in my mind. _Hmm, I pushed Tenshi aside, then she pushed me aside in the same manner... _I facepalm yet again. _Don't tell me she was jealous I saved Tenshi, and wanted to do the same? That just seems impossible..._ Yet I can't think of any other alternative.

"Can we go already?" Tenshi demands, clearly impatient.

I nod. "Let's go then."

We continue moving onwards, this time staying close to the ground and each other. The street we're traveling down is lined by lit lanterns, and when I look up, I can see tiny white flakes falling down, melting before they hit the ground. Looks like we're finally in the Ancient City. The architecture around us indicate a history before that of humans, old yet longer-lasting.

"But really, what's with all these fight-loving people?" Tenshi mutters, loud enough that even I can hear it.

"_I think they want to fight because you were the one talking._" Suika suggests flippantly, clearly a dig at the Celestial.

We stop so suddenly I nearly fall off the keystone. "Is that a bad thing?" The girl snaps at the orb.

There's a click sound of something hitting glazed clay. "I don't think it is at all." Someone else interrupts their conversation with a voice that sounds a bit slurred.

"Who's there?" Both of us look around, but I'm the one who thinks to look up first.

It's a deeply impressive sight; a tall blond woman with a red horn sticking out from the center of her forehead is standing atop one of the walls nearby, dressed in a white shirt and a slightly transparent blue skirt, looking down at us with one leg propped up on the wall's arch like some hero of justice, her long golden hair blowing slightly in the cold wind as she holds up a large sake dish with one hand, with manacles around her wrists and ankles. She seems unconcerned that the wind is giving me occasional peeks of her white underwear.

"Nice, nice~ I just love you rowdy types." Yuugi Hoshiguma, also known as Yuugi the strong, grins at us. "Of course, you won't mind fighting me, would ya?"

"_Ah_." Suika says.

Glancing to the side, I realize that Tenshi is totally frozen. "Oi, Tenshi. Aren't you going to fight her?"

Unexpectedly, she starts stuttering. "I-I-It, it, it-"

"Huh?"

"IT'S AN ONIIIIII!" She screams, startling me while Yuugi jumps down into the street and starts approaching us.

Tenshi suddenly spins and grabs the orb, shaking it hard. "Wa-wait, what's going on here! Just how am I supposed to beat her! I can't even beat-" Tenshi suddenly covers her mouth, as if realizing that she's talking too much.

_Beat? Beat who? Oh, don't tell me Tenshi can't beat Suika? Looks like she's gained a fear of onis._ I get off the keystone and approach Yuugi as Suika starts explaining to Tenshi who the oni was. "Hi there."

Yuugi glances at me, her cheeks red due to the alcohol. "Hmm? Who're you?"

"Just some ordinary human following her. Can't even fly. You an oni?" _Man, she's quite tall for the girls in Gensokyo, nearly at my height. Even someone like Keine only reaches up to my chest, and that's with her hat._

"Mm, yeah. I'm Yuugi." She takes a sip from her dish, the chains clinking as she moves. "So, she's the strong one? The surface sure has some weird ones."

"Yep." _She doesn't recognize me. Well, we only met once, and that was like six months ago. _"Mind telling me how to get to the Palace of the Earth Spirits?"

"Oh, there? Just-" The look in her eyes changes. "Well, I'll tell you later."

When I look back at where I left Tenshi, I see that she has drawn her sword. "Come on! I'm not afraid of you!" She says bravely, but I can tell she's still nervous about having to fight an oni.

"Well, I'll just watch from a distance." I go quite a distance away, followed by the yin-yang orb. "So, what did you tell her?"

"_You see the dish Yuugi's holding?_"

"Don't tell me you fed her some made-up rubbish about Yuugi having a self-imposed rule that she loses if she spills her sake." I joke.

"_Actually, I did._" I hear more laughter not belonging to Suika coming through the orb.

_Heh. _"Sounds like you're having lots of fun back there." I watch the two combatants engage each other, and retreat even further to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"_Yeah!_" Suika confirms it.

Then someone else comes on the line. "_Hihi! Would our on-site reporter comment on what's happening?_"

_Aya? Sounds like she's living up the role too. _"Ahem!" I clear my throat. "Well, the Celestial is doing her best to aim for the dish, but it looks like she's having some difficulty getting through the danmaku! Woah, barely dodged that one there! And her opponent's calmly drinking throughout the entire thing, guess we can tell who has the higher chances of winning!"

"_Thank you thank you!_" Aya's voice fades out, as if she's moving away from the other orb.

_Well, that was fun... hm, I think I got an idea I want to try out later. _"Hey, Suika."

"_Hm?_"

I face the orb, feeling a little foolish at first, but getting used to it when I realize it's similar to talking over a phone. "Honestly, can she even win against Yuugi?"

"_Well, just see for yourself!_"

I hear a clattering sound, and look back to see Yuugi's dish on the floor, making noise as it spins around on its edge before coming to a stop facedown. The owner herself is starting to emit a really intense pressure as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Well now." She grins ferociously. "Guess it's time for me to get serious."

_Looks like she drank all her sake before Tenshi could knock it over. _I can hear cheering and talks about betting odds from the orb next to me. _Maybe I should step in? I still got the sake I brought for Yuugi._

The orb flies over to the girl. "_Whoops, sorry. Looks like I was mistaken._" Suika apologizes to Tenshi.

"Hmph. It doesn't matter." Tenshi says, but even at this distance, I can see her legs shaking. "Because... I have a plan!"

With that she suddenly summons two keystones, one on either side of her. But instead of sending them at Yuugi, they suddenly shatter, revealing a bottle in each. She grabs them by their necks, and walks towards the oni.

_Huh, I thought she was going to fight, but... _My eyes widen when I see the two of them exchanging words softly, big smiles forming on their faces. _Oh my god, I don't believe this. I really don't believe this. She. Bribed. Yuugi. _I can hear similar cries of disbelief through the yin-yang orb, which had returned to me after passing on Suika's apology.

Tenshi walks over to me, breathing a sigh of relief. "Come on. Let's go." Behind her, I can see Yuugi waving goodbye, clutching those bottles like they're the most precious things in the world to her.

_Well, given that they probably contain some Celestial-level sake, they probably are. _I get on the keystone that Tenshi puts out for me, and we're off again. "Um, what sort of sake did you give her?" I ask to satisfy my curiosity.

"_Yashiori no Sake_ (2) and _Janbenki Dokushu._ (3)" She answers shortly.

I have no idea what those are, but I just pretend I do. "Ah, okay."

"_They're extremely powerful._" Suika's voice whispers into my ear. "_Taste pretty good too._"

As we continue onwards to the Palace of the Earth Spirits, I search through my pack and pull out the list I made before coming along with a stick of charcoal, unfolding it and reading what I wrote there. _Let's see, I met the first few already. _I tick off next to the names of those I met. _That just leaves Satori. _I look further down my list, below 'Get sake from the underground'. _Have to remember that one._

"_What's that writing, Ikuto?_" Suika asks.

"Don't peek, dammit." I fold it up and tuck it away. _Good thing it's written in English. And I bet Yukari knows what it means._

Finally, our destination looms into view. It's constructed differently from the Scarlet Devil Mansion and colored a dark, gloomy gray, but the architecture is clearly Western as well. As we speed towards it, I notice that the front door is open, but before I can say anything, Tenshi just enters straight through it.

"Okay, we're here." Tenshi announces, and the keystone halts.

I get off and look around, but I don't see anyone within this Western-style structure with stained glass windows. _Shouldn't there be some animals here?_ "Um, Tenshi, I don't think we should just go straight through the entrance, even if it is open-" I turn to look back at the girl.

She's gone, and so is the keystone.

_What the fuck? _I look around frantically, but I don't see any signs of where she's gone except... I raise one eyebrow when I spot a 'Keep Out' sign blocking off a corridor. _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

As if to prove me right, the yin-yang orb comes flying out from it. "_What are you standing about for? She's gone down here. Hurry up and stop her!_"

"Got it." I start running down the route, the orb leading the way.

"_Why didn't you try to stop her?_" I hear Aya ask faintly.

"_I did. She's too engrossed to listen._" Suika replies.

It's a veritable maze of corridors and doors with no sign of any life, but it's quite easy to tell where Tenshi has gone; I just have to follow the signs that forbid entry and the whoops of joy. In my mind, I can picture that insufferable girl going through each one of them, a grinning expression of intense curiosity fixed on her face as she goes past 'No Entry', 'Keep Out', 'Authorized Personnel Only', and other similar ones. I finally catch up to her just as she's reaching a door that has the sign 'Tenshi not allowed'.

_Okay, that settles it. This whole thing is a trap!_ "Tenshi, no!" _And this rebellious girl is walking straight into it!_

But I'm too late, plus she's too absorbed to even listen. She throws the door open eagerly and rushes through. "It's here, isn't it!" Tenshi yells triumphantly.

"Haha! I've been waiting for you, intruder!" A voice I haven't heard in a while yells back.

"Orin?" I peek around the door frame, wincing a little at the heat that comes blowing through.

As expected, the catgirl I met long ago back at Reimu's shrine is standing there, pointing at Tenshi. The entire room is lit up pretty brightly though there's quite a lot of smoke around, the source of the light being some vents at the back of the room. I squint a little, then realize that the smoke is coming from a hot spring placed near the vents.

"I've been observing you all this while! Now before Satori-sama finds out about you, I'm going to make you into a corpse and-" The kasha spots me. "Oh, you're..."

"Another youkai, huh? I'll make short work of you!" Tenshi's already raring to go.

Orin instantly forgets about me and pounces. "Not if I get you first!"

"Alright, that's enough." A soft voice announces.

"Nya!"

Orin yelps when she crashes into the ground, her jump stopped in midair by the hand of her master on her foot, and I get my second look of the owner of the place and the pets that inhabit it.

Satori Komeiji is an expressionless girl with purple hair, dressed in a blue blouse and pink skirt. Her red third eye is open on her chest, its lines extending to her head, wrists and the hem of her blouse. _Okay, so maybe she isn't expressionless, _I think when I see her pet Orin's head with a softly apologetic expression, _just not the type to show it much._

"And so..." She looks over at us, Tenshi just a short distance away, me far behind still peeking through the door. "I see, you want sake. Is that all?"

"Aah... yeah." Tenshi seems a bit cowed by the fact that Satori is reading her mind. "So you're the youkai as your name suggested, huh?" But she does her best to appear strong still.

"_Well, it does make things go fast._" Suika comments.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Satori Komeiji, the master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits. And as you so correctly guessed, I am a youkai capable of reading hearts."

As if to emphasize the fate her ability put her in, a large bunch of cats and ravens start swarming out of the steam, rushing past Tenshi and me to run out of the room. _So this is where all the pets she owns was? Must be tough keeping all of them._

"Yes it is. But I manage." I look back to see Satori looking at me oddly, but she returns her attention to Tenshi. "Are you really sure? About the sake, I mean."

"A-Ah, yeah..."

Satori thinks for a while, then sighs. "Fine then. But I have one condition. Okuu, Orin."

"Aye!" Black wings stir up steam as the hell raven descends.

"Yes!" Two tails lash around with eager anticipation.

"Would you be willing... to fight with the pets I'm proud of?"

Tenshi doesn't reply, at least not right away. "Ha. And I was just about tired of acting nice."

_You already weren't when you intruded on this place!_ I can hear a snort of agreement from Suika.

"Well, I can see that you are. So let's go to a more open area." Satori walks past Tenshi, her pets following. As she passes by me, she gives me another odd look.

_Now. __Never gonna give you up~ Never gonna let you down~ Never gonna ru~n around, and desert you! Never gonna make you cry~ Never gonna say goodbye~ Never gonna tell a lie~ and hurt you!_ I start singing Rick Astley's song in English in my mind. (4)

She stops abruptly and stares at me. Not knowing the rest of the lyrics apart from the chorus, I just repeat them in my mind again over and over. Behind her, Okuu and Orin follow their mistress's line of sight, and stare at me too.

"Do you have some fascination with that song or something?"

"Umm..." I keep repeating it in my mind as I try to talk at the same time. _Never gonna give you up~ Never gonna let you down~ Never gonna ru~n around, and desert you!_ "You could... say that."

"I wish to talk to you as well. Follow me."

"_Huhu~ this looks interesting._" Suika comments as we move as a group through the corridors.

"Hey hey, Brother, I never expected to see you here!" Orin thumps my shoulder.

"Orin, you know him?"

We both stare at Okuu, who looks at us cluelessly. "She forgot again, didn't she."

Orin sighs. "Yep."

"Unyu?"

"Well, whatever." I dig out the pack of eggs I brought along. "I brought you girls a gift, you can go and boil them afterwards."

"Ohh! Thanks, Brother! Look, Okuu!"

"Unyu! Thanks!"

"Orin, Okuu, eat them later." Satori reprimands, and her pets reply in the affirmative, so I keep the eggs back in my pack first.

We finally emerge into a bare plot of land that is larger than the entrance hall of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Satori walks over to a garden table and takes a seat, giving me a look of invitation to do the same. I follow, still not stopping the song.

"Go ahead and play with the girl, Orin, Okuu."

"Aye!"

"Yeah!"

"Heh, I've been waiting for this."

"_I'll be with her watching. Best position to see stuff._" Suika informs me, and the yin-yang orb joins Tenshi.

_I can totally see Aya commentating on the battle already._ _Tenshi VS. Okuu and Orin! Place your bets!_ Some distance away, Orin makes the first move, dashing around at high speed and making dust explosions every time she changes direction.

"Ah, a tengu, I see. Thank you for finally stopping that song."

Instantly I produce something else in my mind, something I only saw a few times before I came to Gensokyo. _Nyan nyan nyannyan nyannyannyan nyan nyannyan~ _(5)

"Please stop that." Satori puts on a pained expression.

"ORIN! ABOVE YOU!" Okuu's scream rings out across the grounds.

A glance back shows Tenshi on top one of her pillar-like keystones, holding a boulder version above her head. Orin is probably behind it, and suddenly Tenshi starts tossing down keystone after keystone, clearly enjoying herself.

"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Celestial is laughing like crazy as she throws them down like some kid playing whack-a-mole while Orin desperately tries to dodge.

"NYAAAAA!"

"ORIIIIIIN!"

"You can leave them alone. I would like to talk to you, ..." Satori says a name I haven't heard for a while. My real name.

_Hmph, fine. And it's Ikuto now._

"If that's what you wish."

_So? What is it you wish to talk to me about?_ I keep my eyes trained on her, even as the sound of an energy blast cuts off Tenshi's maniacal laughter.

"I'll be blunt. Just _what_ are you?"

_Aren't I human?_

"You don't think like one." Satori taps her finger on the table. "Do you know just how much trouble I'm having reading your heart?"

_Nope I don't. _I glance at the battle to see Tenshi grinning widely, surrounded by a whole bunch of keystones, and her opponents not exactly eager to take her on. _Just tell me, Kotori. _(6)

"My name is Sato-" The youkai's eyes narrow. "Please do not confuse me with some fictional character that you imagine to be your wife. Even if it stops you from being scared of me like most people are."

_Hahahaha. But seriously, what do you mean?_

"You think about emotional matters logically and logical matters emotionally, and unless you form your thoughts consciously, I have to focus to see what is in your heart."

_You mean, it's like I'm using my subconscious to think?_

Satori nods. "That would describe it pretty well, since it's what prevents me from seeing into my sister's heart." She pauses for a moment. "I see you've met her. But that's not all."

I try to guess what she's about to say. _Is it about me knowing about this world? Does it startle you to find out there's another world that views yours as a fictional creation?_

"You guessed wrongly. And that doesn't bother me in the slightest." She sighs. "Just how many do you have inside you?"

I twitch slightly, she knows about the three-

"Not just three." Satori interrupts my thoughts. "You have many, many more. And you just created a new one."

I'm confused already. _I don't get what you're trying to say._

"Ikuto." Her voice becomes more serious. "You're creating different personalities within yourself, and discarding them almost as fast."

I finally understand what she's talking about, but that doesn't stop me from questioning further. _But it feels the same to me, unless I'm switching to a different type._

"That's because those within a certain type only differ slightly." She explains. "In truth, you make a new one for almost anything new you encounter."

"That can't be ri-"

A huge explosion of light interrupts my outburst, and the strong wind nearly knocks me over._ Ouch, my ears..._ _Is that a Mega Flare attack?_ It makes me recall the power of Okuu, as well as the risk it carries.

Next to me, Satori seems hardly affected. "You need not worry. Okuu has polished her skills enough to prevent any radiation fallout." Satori's mouth twitches. "Though I can see that you're not entirely convinced."

I stare at her for a moment, then take my seat again. _So? What about this multiple personality thing?_

"I'm just letting you know. It doesn't really change a thing anyway since every single one uses the same memory." She leans back in her chair, her finger still tapping the table. "Except..."

I make a face. _All that personality creating is wearing down my memory?_

"Yes. But since you don't keep every single one you make, I doubt it will affect you much."

_Geez, I can't believe I'm getting psychological advice from a youkai_.

"I wouldn't have believed I could meet someone like you either." Satori retorts dryly. "And stop thinking of me as this Kotori."

Up ahead, the smoke clears to reveal a gigantic, hill-sized keystone, bigger than anything Tenshi has put out before, and silencing the victory celebration of Satori's two pets. The next thing I know, it explodes outwards in our direction, and I barely manage to dive under the table in time to avoid the giant rocks that come flying at us.

"You need not worry. We're properly protect-" Her thighs suddenly close. "It may be an accident, but please do not take advantage of it to look at my panties."

_Huh, so the mind-reader youkai gets embarrassed when someone sees her white-_

"Finish that thought and I will set Orin and Okuu on you."

_Okay, shutting up. _I crawl out from under the table to see the remains of the keystone forming a line a few meters away. _Like they got caught by some invisible fence. Come to think about it, I could have used Eternal Inheritance to protect myself._

"You just did it again."

_Nyan nyan nyannyan nyannyannyan nyan nyannyan nyannyannyan nyannyan nyan~ _I notice something mid-tune. "Wait, where's Orin?"

"ORIIIIIIIIIN!" The hell raven is also screaming her friend's name just as I'm asking that, but she stops when she notices Tenshi approaching.

The battle looks like it has paused for a moment as the remaining combatants talk to each other at a distance, Okuu standing next to a rock that sticks out at an angle, while Tenshi is some distance away, her hands behind her back. As I watch, I see the rock sink back into the ground, revealing Tenshi's Sword of Hisou sticking out of it. Okuu taps it with her arm cannon, saying something I can't hear, but it looks like Tenshi is a bit nervous.

"Oh ho~ She says she doesn't need it, huh?"

"Woah!" I jerk away from where Orin is perched on the table on all fours. "What the hell- where'd you come from?"

"We~ll, I got hit by that rock earlier, and got thrown all the way here." She grins toothily at me. "But a cat can always land on her feet, so I'm totally fine!"

"You sure it's okay to leave Okuu alone?"

"You did it again." Satori butts in.

_You shut up. _I think rudely. _Or else I'm going to keep singing those songs in my head._

"Spare me that." She murmurs, then looks at the battlefield. "Okuu!" Satori suddenly cries out, her tone alarmed.

Her hell raven pet has put away her arm cannon, and she's cracking her knuckles. "Don't worry, Satori-sama! I'm the strongest!"

I look between the two of them. "What's going on, Orin?"

"They're having a fist fight." The kasha explains. "No weapons."

"Then Okuu's going to lose, isn't she? A hell raven can't beat a Celestial like that."

"Heh." Orin smirks. "Let me explain! Okuu has a secret ability."

"What ability is that?"

"_Yeah, I'd like to hear that too!_" Aya's voice interrupts us from the orb.

_Huh, why did you come back here? _I stare at the orb. _I thought getting front-seat views was more important?_

"You see... Okuu's ability..."

"_Yeah? Yeah?_"

"-is that SHE FORGETS ANYTHING IMPORTANT IN THREE STEPS!" Orin pumps a fist as she reveals it.

"_That's a weakness._"

_That's a weakness. _I think at the same time as Aya says it.

"Well, just watch." She replies confidently, and we turn to observe.

Tenshi suddenly jumps, a keystone raised overhead to smash down onto Okuu's head.

_One._ Okuu steps back in surprise, her right foot going back.

_Two._ She dodges to her right with an expression of panic, putting her left foot down as the keystone smashes into where she was a moment ago.

_Three._ Her right foot follows, and lands in front of her left, and Okuu turns around to face Tenshi again, clearly frightened out of her mind.

For her part, the Celestial isn't giving up, and turns towards the hell raven. "You won't esca-"

For a moment, everything freezes as Tenshi stops, realizing that she's face to face with the barrel of Okuu's arm cannon.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The youkai screams, firing blast after blast straight at Tenshi's head.

"_SHE FORGOT IT IN THREE STEPS-!_" Aya yells out, and I facepalm in disbelief.

"FLARE! FLARE! FLARE! FLARE! FLAAAAAAARE!" Okuu continues to yell over the sound of the explosions.

"GYA! STOP- UGAH! NGYAAA!" Tenshi's taking a heavy beating.

_I can't watch this. _I look away, focusing instead on the other two with me. _Looks like they're kind of enjoying it. _But in the end, the shooting ceases.

"Haa... Haa... Haa... Haa..." I can hear Okuu's panting all the way from here.

"_Ohhh! SHE'S DOWN! She's gone down!_"

Just as Aya said, Tenshi is down and out, knocked unconscious by the force of consecutive blasts to the face. That's when I realize something about my current situation; during my entire trip here, I was hitching a ride with Tenshi on one of her keystones, but now that she's unconscious, I'm stuck here without a ride home. Making my own way back would probably take two, three days at the very least, and that's assuming I'm not attacked en-route.

"You don't have to worry about that. She's waking up already." Satori interrupts my thoughts as Okuu comes flapping down next to us.

_Oh yeah, Celestials can take a lot of punishment._ I make my way over to Tenshi as she staggers upright, using her sword to support her. "You okay?"

"I...I haven't... lost yet..."

"Forget it. The fight's over- WOAH!" I barely grab her wrist before she drives the sword into the ground. "Don't start an earthquake under the earth, you idiot!"

She falters. "Oh... right."

"I just want to ask something though..." I bend down a little to look her in the face. "Did you have fun?"

"How can losing be fun?" She demands sourly.

I shake my head. "Not that, I'm talking about the trip here. You looked like you were really enjoying yourself going through all those 'Keep Out' signs."

"Uhh... well..." She looks away, then replies softly. "Yeah."

I pat her on the shoulder. "That's good then. Come on, let's get our sake and le-"

As if on cue, my stomach growls, and Tenshi stares at me for a moment before bursting into a fit of giggles.

_Cool exit spoiled. _"Well, maybe we should have some lunch first. Come on."

The glares that the Celestial exchanges the hell raven is enough to make the atmosphere heavy even before I reach the others.

"That was to my satisfaction." Satori announces with a nod. "I'll give you the sake you want, so-"

This time the growls come from the stomachs of her pets, and they're much louder compared to mine.

"After lunch, it appears." Satori gives me a look, as if she knew what I was thinking. Oh wait, she does.

In the end, all of us end up being seated around a rectangular table, digging into a meal prepared by Satori herself combined with the lunch that Keine made for me, while Okuu and Orin come back with the eggs I brought boiled in the hot spring. It's delicious, but I don't ask what it's made of.

"I don't think you'd want to know either."

_Yes, Kotori. I don't._

"Stop referring to me like that." She looks at Tenshi. "And no, it's not that."

_Yay, I irritated her._

"Yes you have. Now stop that."

_Yes, Mum. _I smirk at the mind reader.

"I'm not your mother either. Now be quiet and eat." Despite that, her reprimands still sound mother-like.

In the end, quiet goes out the window as I reacquaint myself with Okuu again. It takes a while to jog her memory with Orin's help, but eventually she remembers meeting me, my name, and my previous gift to her. After that, I get a slow tour of the place, particularly the entrance to the Hell of Blazing Fires, which is so hot I need to take off the winter clothing and wear the Fire Rat's Robe to get within thirty meters of the hole. While on the other hand, Tenshi is only sweating lightly when she looks down from the edge.

_How the heck did Reimu endure this heat? _I wonder, feeling quite warm beneath my protection all the way back.

"She had divine power to protect her." Satori explains, reading my thoughts- "As usual."

_You're doing this to irritate me back, aren't you? _

Satori gives me a small smile. "Yes I am. Orin," She calls out to the kasha, who's sneaking up behind Tenshi. "Stop that."

Instantly Orin straightens up and acts innocent, like she hadn't been intending to push the Celestial down. "Okayyy~"

_And it wouldn't even work in the first place, since she can fly too._ I turn around and leave the place to get away from the heat. _Still... _once I'm out of the place, I bend down to pet another cat that comes rubbing against my legs. _These animals are kind of cute._

"So you like animals-" Satori stops mid-question. "Part of you doesn't."

"It happens from time to time. Clearly, I can't even control when my personality changes." With a final pat, I shoo the cat back to its mistress and straighten up.

"But it appears that being around your wife helps you stay on the better ones."

_Keine? Yeah. But what about you?_

"Me?" Satori frowns. "You're thinking in reverse again."

_Don't you ever wish that people weren't afraid of you? That they weren't put off by your ability?_

"I have my pets to keep me company. In fact, I find them much more agreeable."

_Well, to each his own, I guess. But I'm sure that Byakuren would welcome you. _

"Ah... Byakuren... I heard that name in the hearts of some youkai before, but those youkai are gone now." She stares at me for a while. "So they went above ground? And they managed to find this Byakuren? Hm, she's starting to arouse my interest."

_Really, that ability of yours can be convenient in making a conversation move really smoothly. If you just used it to say what people-_

"I'm not the type to say things just for the pleasure of others." Satori replies firmly. "And once again, I'm not this Kotori, and I will never be."

_Whoops, sorry about that._

Interruption comes in the form of the yin-yang orb."_Hey, shouldn't you get going already?_"

"Oh, Suika. What's the rush? We aren't having the party right away, remember? It's a few days later."

"_Oh right. Well, take your time then. Everyone's pretty much left already though. Yukari said to tell you thanks for letting her see such a nice scene._"

_Guess she really dislikes Tenshi._ I glance back down the corridor, where Tenshi should still be. _Well, I think Suika's right. I should get going soon._

"I'll show you where we keep the sake." Satori turns and starts walking. "Follow me."

"_Ohh! Thanks!_"

She brings me to the wine cellar and selects three bottles, handing them to me. It's a bit too big for my pack to carry, but eventually I manage to solve the problem by tying them up carefully and slinging them over my shoulder. In exchange for the sake, I give her the one bottle I was intending to hand Yuugi, which she accepts graciously.

_Maybe I should invite you to one of the parties above the ground next time._

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm not one for such things. Reserve your invitation for her instead."

_Her? Ah, you mean Tenshi. Well, I'll do that then._ We return to the place where we left the blue-haired girl. "Tenshi, time to go." I call out to her.

"Oh, finally!" Tenshi starts walking in our direction as the yin-yang orb flies over to her.

_She doesn't really mean that, does she? She actually enjoyed coming here._

"You're right, she doesn't. You can tell because you sometimes act that way too."

_Anyway, why doesn't it bother you that in my world, everyone here is seen as a fictional-_

"Are we really fictional, Ikuto?"

I don't even need to think a reply. Besides, considering the barrier between worlds and the existentialism involved is something more along Yukari's ability.

"Bye, Brother!" Orin waves, her other hand picking up a push cart.

"Unyu! Goodbye, Ikuto!" Okuu waves as well, and flies away to tend to the furnace.

I remember something. "Oh yeah, Satori."

As expected, she already knows what I'm about to ask. "You shouldn't look too far into the future, Ikuto. Focus on the present for now."

"Okay. Thanks for everything."

"But I do agree that you need to be stronger if you want to stay here."

"...sure." _Well, I already have a plan for that. But since I'm not going to come down here for a while, I guess I don't have to use it right away._

"Hey! How long are you going to keep me waiting?" Tenshi complains.

"Okay, okay, calm down, will ya?" I climb onto the waiting keystone. "Well then, bye, Satori-chan!"

Before she can tell me off for referring to her that way, we're already zooming off, leaving the Palace of the Earth Spirits and passing through the Ancient City. As we travel, I pull out my list and tick off the rest of the items.

_Mission accomplished. _Right now, I'm looking forward to going back and seeing everyone else. _And hopefully there might still be enough time to do some side jobs._

* * *

><p>(1) A type of spider youkai.<p>

(2) This sake was used in the slaying of the Yamata no Orochi, a giant eight-headed snake.

(3) A mythical sake that supposedly strengthens humans and weakens onis.

(4) Yes, Ikuto rickrolled Satori.

(5) And he also gave her the Nyan Cat treatment.

(6) Shirakawa Kotori from Da Capo has the ability to read minds as well.

Another chapter done with zero line breaks in between!

Okay, I'm going to be honest here and admit that quite a bit of this came from a doujin that hasn't been translated yet, but since it was funny, I decided to just throw it in. Okuu's version of 'Knockout in Three Steps' was one of them.

So that's Ikuto's character revealed; an odd personality that keeps replicating itself over and over like a stem cell dividing to suit a certain situation, and a reversed sense of thinking. The personality thing explains how he can treat each member of his harem equally, since each girl gets one that is tailored to her alone, while the reversed thinking method is just something weird that contributes to his random actions.

It might sound hard to believe, but that's how I am like myself. But let's just leave it at that, because it's not a thing I'd like to discuss in detail as it has affected how I interact with others. I pretty much exist in a number of fantasy worlds of my own.

It might seem that Tenshi's character is a bit different from how I showed her previously. This is just an expansion of her usual hasty, bratty attitude instead of the easily manipulated one I showed before. And as for how she just goes into all those forbidden areas? Remember that this is a girl who started an earthquake just because she wanted to cause an incident; she enjoys testing the rein.

Well, tomorrow is the day school starts, so I'll be taking a short break until I can manage the workload.


	32. Chapter 31: Drunkards' Party

"Thanks for your hard work!" I return the same farewell to my employer at the woodworking shop before I leave, dusting off the wood shavings on my clothes as I go.

It's finally that day. Tonight is the night we're having the party at Reimu's shrine, and I've been working hard every day since I went to the underground to make the stress release all the more sweeter. Okay, to be honest, I'm also doing it for the cash, since I still owe Eientei a bit of a debt, and I don't like to mooch off Keine too much. Besides, it's always best to have some for a rainy day.

Speaking of rainy days... the sky looks a bit dark today. It hasn't snowed yet, but maybe it will tonight. I rearrange the scarf around my neck and increase my pace a bit more; I need to go and pick up Reisen and Tewi, and maybe Eirin. But first, I need to drop by my home for a bit.

_People would call this being henpecked, but considering how much freedom I have already, it would be considered a base requirement. Well, in the first place, I'm only doing this because I want to. _I smirk when I catch sight of the students leaving, one of the boys rubbing his head while grimacing. _Looks like someone got a headbutt._

"Keine, I'm back." I call out as I take off my shoes in the entrance hall.

"Welcome back, Ikuto." She calls back from somewhere inside.

_Looks like she's busy. _I make my way through, checking the possible rooms until I find her in the classroom, cleaning the blackboard. "How was the class today?"

Keine sighs as she dusts off the last of the chalk writing. "The cold weather is making them a bit cranky, so they don't want to learn."

"Not everything in life is smooth." I tell her as I walk closer. _Have to remember that women want men to listen to them instead of offering solutions. _"You look like you should take a break."

Keine glances at me as she tidies up the materials on her desk. "I can't," She frets, "There's just so much to prepare..."

"Just for a bit." I close in the last bit of distance suddenly and seal her lips with mine.

We spend a few minutes in that state before I break it off and back away a little, leaving Keine flushed and breathless. There's a small hint of a plea in her eyes which I pretend not to notice, focusing instead on helping her clear the rest of the things off her desk.

_Soon... Hm, seems like I'm still in that playfully sadistic mood. It's the only thing helping me resist the urge from pushing her down right now and showing her just how much I love her. _I do my best to hide my own lust as I put away her things and help her get dinner started. _Maybe tomorrow night... _

All too soon, I'm wearing my shoes, already dressed in clean clothes as I'm about to leave for Hakurei Shrine.

"Okay, I'd better get going." I check the sky. "I might not come back tonight."

"Understood. Have a safe trip."

I give her one more deep kiss before I leave, and through our link to each other, I can tell that it has fired her up quite a bit. And yet I still refrain from laying a hand on her, purposely leaving my wife frustrated and needy.

I'm not really worried about her reading me back, since I've experimented already. It might be due to my multiple personalities that Satori told me about, but unless my current one is strongly attuned to Keine, any reading of emotions will only go one way. So she might wonder why I haven't slept with her since I came back from the underground when we've always been doing it for hours every night before, but she won't be able to tell why.

Unless her female intuition figures it out that I've been taking out my appetites on the others instead. If it doesn't, then the most she can possibly conclude is that I've fallen out of love with her. Which I fully intend to disprove when the time is ripe.

I slap my cheeks lightly. _Focus,_ I tell myself, _right now you got guests to pick up and a party to attend._

Despite being dressed well, I start jogging towards Eientei to get my blood pumping and stave off the cold. I like cold temperatures more than most people, but sometimes -possibly due to my personality changes- I prefer a bit of warmth instead.

I run into Mokou just outside Eientei, so we enter together. As expected, she's raring up to beat Kaguya at the game, but once in a while, I catch her giving me suspicious looks when she thinks I'm not working. Looks like Keine has been confiding her worries to her friend.

"Oh, Ikuto! Is it time already?" Reisen comes running down the corridor to hug me. "Just give me a moment to change!"

Before I can say anything, she runs off again. Next to me, Mokou pokes me with an elbow. "Just what happened between you and her?"

"Uhm..." _Oh right, I haven't told Mokou that I proposed to Keine... _"Well... I'm just asking this, but do you... umm... know about me and Keine...?"

"You're living with her, right? What about it?"

_Doesn't look like it... Guess I'll just answer the question. _"Never mind. Well, I promised Reisen that I'd take her out a while back, which I... what's the term for it... saw it through?"

"Hmm." Mokou tucks her hands into her pockets. "Well, you ought to do the same for Keine sometime." She says it in a seemingly unconcerned tone as she walks ahead of me.

"Believe me, I will." I catch up and pat her on the head, ruffling her hair.

She leans forward to pull away from my hand. "Stop that." Mokou orders me good-naturedly.

_Tsundere._ I withdraw my hand. "Yeah, yeah. Good luck on your game."

"Heh, I'm not going to lose to Kaguya." Grinning, Mokou pulls out one hand to tap a fist against the back of mine.

Kaguya's door slides open before we even reach it. "Well, finally! Are you ready to get trashed? You're going to lose, Mokou!" Kaguya sticks her head out to taunt.

"It's going to be you who's going to lose." Her eternal rival retorts as she walks past.

"Good evening, Ikuto. I see you're dressed for the occasion. Care to accompany me for a round?" The princess invites me with considerably more warmth than she treated Mokou with.

I shake my head, smiling apologetically. "Thank you for the invitation, but I tend to get carried away, so I'd better refuse." With that, I lean down and peck her on the cheek, making her giggle.

"Pity. I was looking forward to testing my skills against you once more."

"Hey, are you going to keep me waiting?" Mokou calls from behind her, already in position in front of the console.

"Till next time, Ikuto. For now, I must teach that uncouth peasant just who her better is."

She closes the door, cutting off Mokou's scathing reply, and I continue on my way. _Seems like Mokou is backing off for Keine. I might be seeing a quite a few other girls, but I still can't tell how some of them feel. In any case, it's like the passion between me and her have cooled down. _I shrug. _Well, she's an immortal, and I'm just another human with a normal lifespan. _

"Tewi, get down from there."

"Tch. Heard me, huh?" A portion of the ceiling moves away and Tewi slips through, replacing it behind her. "You're getting pretty good at finding me."

_Actually, it was the radar. _But I don't tell her that. "Can't catch you yet, though."

The rabbit youkai cackles. "That's right -usa."

"Who's that I... hear..." Eirin's voice trails off when she spots me.

"Hi, Eirin." I greet her casually.

Instead of replying, she turns a deep red and makes a quick exit.

"Does that reaction have anything to do with the sounds I heard from your room a few nights ago while you were staying here?" Tewi inquires.

"Don't eavesdrop." I deflect.

"Heh heh~"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Reisen comes rushing up, doing her tie. "Shall we go?"

"Sure."

When Reisen and I reach the shrine, the party is already underway; Tewi went on ahead, disgusted with the way we were flirting, leaving us to walk the rest of the way.

"Reimu! We're here!" I call as Reisen and I take off our shoes in front of the room where all the noise is coming from.

The door slides open, revealing Sakuya and the rest of the party members behind her. I spot Marisa, Tewi, Alice, Remilia and Aya seated at the table already with others my decreased attention span fail to identify right away, which means Reimu must be in the kitchen.

"Oh, come on in, come on in!" Suika beckons.

The two of us joins the rest, just as the host herself comes out bearing dishes laden with food. She puts them down in front of us and sits down next to Marisa.

"Eat up, everyone." Reimu invites.

"It's not rabbit, is it?" My companion asks suspiciously.

"Ikuto told me not to, so you don't have to worry."

After a day's hard work, I'm feeling pretty hungry, so I dig right into the food without paying much attention to the conversation that goes on around me. Once in a while, I catch an envious look from Alice, while Remilia gives me a curious glance occasionally. Rather than confront them, I do what I used to do back in my world and pretend not to notice.

Nearby, Komachi is hitting it off with Suika, trading fight stories, possibly a bond built after the oni helped out in the construction of the house, and opposite them, Youmu is doing her best to curb Yuyuko's heavy appetite. Tewi is chatting with Marisa, while Reimu and Sakuya are talking among themselves, but only one person seems to be as quiet as I am; Aya looks kind of disappointed as she picks at her food.

"You seem bored." Reisen whispers.

"Not really. I'm a slow starter, it takes me a while before I hit my rhythm."

"That's not how you were..." She suddenly colors red, and looks down. "Never mind."

_Seriously, I can't wait for the eating part to be over. _I stretch my back a little. _Damn, I'm feeling a little tired... maybe I should have set it later so that I could have taken a nap?_

Thankfully my wish comes true soon enough. Sakuya and Reimu help to clear away the dishes while the rest of us talk among ourselves... and Alice takes the opportunity to plant herself closer to me. However, I slip away to talk to Aya instead.

"Yo, why so down?" I stand opposite to where she's sitting against the door frame.

Aya glances at me. "Oh. I haven't thanked you for inviting me to that party before, have I?" She says dispiritedly.

_What exactly could... Oh._ "You didn't make it, I'm guessing."

The tengu reporter smiles wanly. "Yeah. Another paper got chosen instead. Haa..." She sighs, "Even though I had so much hope in that final piece."

"I read it. I thought it was much better than the others by far." I crouch down and sit in the same fashion as her. "All I can say is better luck next time."

"Thanks."

"Now come on, cheer up a little, will ya?" I hold out my fist. "We're supposed to be having a party here."

Her smile grows into a grin. "Sure!" And she bumps her fist against mine.

"Anybody up for some mahjong?" Tewi inquires from across the room.

_Ugh, I don't feel up for something like that tonight. Well... in the first place, I forgot how to play. Last time I played was like... five years ago? _I watch as Yuyuko, Remilia and Marisa take up the challenge, with the servants watching their mistresses. _Well, whatever, I'd rather play something simpler._

"Hey, Ikuto!" Komachi calls from another part of the place. "How about a game of bluff? I brought cards."

_There we go. _"Coming!"

"Hey oni, you wanna join?" Komachi invites just as I reach her.

Suika pulls the gourd away from her mouth, smiling drunkenly. "Nah, don't mind me, I'll just watch."

In the end, the ones playing are me, Komachi, Alice and Reimu. After the first round, I realize how slow we're going, so I propose a special rule to shorten things. Instead of clearing the entire hand, we would only need to discard down to two cards for a win. The rest of them accept it willingly, especially since Reimu looked like she was waiting for an opening at the mahjong game.

"Three club." I toss down one card.

"Four spade." Alice follows with another.

Komachi slaps down another two more. "Five spades."

Reimu squints at the rather large pile, only holding four cards. The rest of us watch her carefully, is she holding a playable one, or will she suspect Komachi's play? In the end, she adds one more to the stack.

"Five heart."

_Hmm, can't tell by her tone. _I glance down at my cards. _Just three more. Which one..._ I reach for the leftmost one, then grab the center one at the last moment and put it down. "Five spade."

"Bluff!" Reimu snatches it up and turns it over, then her expression turns to one of shock.

"Gotcha." I push the entire pile over to her. "And it's my win."

Reimu sighs, then turns the pile over to reveal that the last three plays before hers had been lies. "...liars... all of you."

Komachi and I grin at each other while Alice smiles. We play a few more rounds before Tewi gets tired of playing and gives her place up to Reimu, while I finally manage to rope Reisen into joining our party. After a bit more, I can see that Alice is pretty much tired of it, so I teach them how to play Big Two.

"So the strength of the suits goes from diamonds, clubs, hearts then spades, and you cannot finish the game with a two." I explain. "Here, let's give it a try."

I purposely make a few bad plays so the rest of them can have a chance to win, but while they're celebrating, I can see Suika watching me closely. _Looks like she knows. _

Another few more rounds and I decide to take a break. "I'm going for a walk, girls." I say, and get up.

They chorus their acknowledgement, and I don my shoes and start walking around the shrine's area. The sky is dark and the weather is cold, but the place doesn't have the pressure that I felt in Alice's or Remilia's place. Proof that there's a divine presence in this place, perhaps? Maybe I should donate a bit more.

"Ikuto." Someone calls out to me as I'm digging out my wallet in front of the donation box.

I turn around to see my sword-wielding girlfriend. "Youmu? Where's Yuyuko?"

"She's still busy playing mahjong." Youmu walks closer. "How have you been?"

"Pretty much okay." I draw out a few coins and toss them into the box. "You?"

"I'm okay..."

_Her expression looks lonely... _"We don't really have many chances to meet, do we?"

She looks down. "That's true..."

I walk over and hug her tightly. "But no matter what, we're always together."

"Yes... you're right." I feel her put her arms around me and squeeze.

"Speaking of which, I haven't taken you out for a date yet, have I?" I look out at the scenery of the small lights of the village from the shrine.

She shakes her head.

"Next time you come by, I'll do all I can to do so." I promise.

"That's a bit hard for you, isn't it?" My gardener girl chuckles. "You don't have to force yourself."

We pull away, and I pat her on the head. "But I want to." I say, meaning it.

"Ikuto..." She smiles. "Yes!"

"You better go back. Who knows what trouble Yuyuko might be getting into without you?" I take my hand off her head and turn her around. "Go on. I'll come back when I feel like it."

"Okay." Youmu walks away, then looks at me over her shoulder. "I'm holding you to that promise."

I continue on my walk around the shrine, looking at the shadow of the trees that form the border around the place. Hakurei Shrine is one of the places where the boundary between Gensokyo and the outside world is thin; if I wanted to, I could ask Reimu to help me leave. Recently, I've been feeling a bit... how do I describe it... out of touch? It's like nothing much matters to me.

Maybe it's one of those times... when my personalities start swapping around like crazy. One moment I'm feeling rage at everything and nothing, the next I don't care about anything or anyone. Honestly speaking, it sucks. I wonder what Satori would say if she were to experience me like this. Imagining her reaction makes me smirk a little.

_Wonder if this is why I'm distancing myself from Keine? Because I don't want her to get disillusioned with me if she finds out? _The sound of approaching footsteps draws me back to reality. "Who is it?"

"What are you doing at the hot spring, Ikuto?"

"I'm just walking around the place." I turn to look at Komachi, who's lazily twirling her scythe around her shoulders. "You?"

"Looking for you. You looked kind of down earlier."

_And here I thought I hid it well. _I sigh and put my hands in my pockets, walking over. "Just being a bit moody."

"Hey." My shinigami friend calls out to me softly.

I meet her red eyes. "Yeah?"

"You can talk to me, you know? Even before our..." She glances away for a moment. "Mutually beneficial relationship, I'm still your friend."

_I can't really recall, but it feels like it's the first time anyone said that to me. _"Thanks, Komachi. But you know, so far we've only had that once."

"Can't be helped, can it?" She demands, looking a bit irritated. "Every time since then, that oarfish keeps coming."

"You want to do it that much?" I ask in surprise.

"Don't make me say it, idiot." She replies huffily.

"Next possible opportunity then. But you know, Iku's our friend too, isn't she?"

"She is, but..."

"Why not try talking to her directly about it? I have a feeling..." I trail off. _That Iku wants to join in? Man, I REALLY can't say that._

"Have a feeling what?"

"Never mind. Just try talking to her about it, okay?"

Komachi nods, though I detect a hint of discontent. "You coming back with me? The party's only getting started, you know."

"Not now, but soon. You go first. And Komachi," I suddenly pull her into a tight hug. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome, idiot Ikuto." She frees up one hand to return it.

My walk around the shrine continues after she's gone, feeling a little better for talking to Komachi. In the end, I finally end up near the room where the party is going on. I walk out farther, making sure to stay near the area of illumination, and look up at the sky. It's dark... there's no stars to be seen, like that night I went to see them with Keine. Darkness fills my heart again.

"You seem kind of different today, Ikuto." A surprisingly sober voice speaks to me from behind.

I don't turn around. "Suika." _And there's a third._

"If I were to describe it, it's like you're-"

"Forcing myself." I interrupt. "Yeah. I get these moods sometimes."

"Is that why you came for this?"

I shrug, turning around to walk back towards the room. "Not really. Sometimes I wonder just what Yukari is planning by putting me here. Whether there's a point to my being here."

Suika tilts her head, swaying slightly. "Oh come on, don't think so hard about such things."

"Heh." I hold out a hand. "Let me have some."

She passes me her gourd. "Help yourself."

"You bet I will."

With that, I start gulping from it. _Just wash those thoughts away with a healthy helping of alcohol, and hope that when the effect fades, I won't be feeling so melancholic._

"Ohh~" Suika starts clapping.

I lower the gourd. "I didn't drink _that_ much, you know."

"Why not?"

"Why not indeed?" I agree, and take a few more gulps, feeling the heat starting to build up in my body.

"Now you're talking." Grinning, Suika gives me a light slap on the wrist. "Pass it here."

I hand it back, then grab her wrist and pull her in suddenly. "Say, Suika."

"What?" She lets me lead her in a mockery of a dance.

_What do you think of me? _"What do you say to starting a drinking game with the rest?"

"Let's do it!"

With that, we head back into the house to wreak havoc on the place.

* * *

><p>"Alright, let's play the King Game!" Suika cheers, and the rest of us follow with varying levels of enthusiasm.<p>

I try my best to recall as much as I can about the game through the alcohol-induced haze. The entire group picks from a bunch of marked sticks, and the one who picks the 'King' stick would give an order meant to be followed by ones who held the sticks with the two corresponding numbers. That's all I can recall, but they add a few more rules to counter the abilities of some of the members present, such as no one being able to be King twice in a row, or giving orders that affect the same pair. In the event that such a thing happens, the roles would be deflected to the one on the person's right.

"Here are the sticks!" Marisa holds up the bundle. "They're already marked. Check them yourselves!"

The rest of us crowd around to see; there are a total of twelve sticks, one for each of us, with one marked with the kanji for King and the rest numbered from one to eleven. Once we're satisfied that there's nothing else marking them, Marisa collects them up and puts them in a bamboo tube from which each of us would draw from.

"Remember, every order must involve a drink!" Suika holds up one of the bottles I brought from the underground.

I can see that some of them, such as Sakuya, aren't too fond of the idea, but it's hard to go against the oni's enthusiasm, so they agree, albeit reluctantly.

**First draw:**

I take a seven, and Tewi takes the role of King.

"Number one has to tickle number three until either side gives up! Loser drinks!"

The victim happens to be Alice, and Marisa is only too happy to fulfill that role.

"Coochie coochie coo~" Marisa digs her fingers into Alice's sides.

"Agh... no, stop... Mari- aha... wait..." The puppeteer is trying her best to resist, but Marisa won't be denied. "AHAHAHA! STOP! I-I, I CAN'T!"

"Okay~ drink up!" Suika hands over a small dish filled with sake.

"Haa... Haa... why did it... have to... be her..." Alice mutters, taking the dish and finishing its contents.

"Alright, next round!"

**Second draw:**

"Hmph, of course I am fated to become King." Remilia twirls the stick lightly, resting her chin on the other hand.

"Just hurry up and give the command already."

"Number seven has to hug number eight really tightly." The vampire orders nonchalantly.

"You have to include a drinking command in that." Komachi reminds.

"Haa... fine, number seven has to feed number eight sake mouth-to-mouth." This time, she grins evilly.

There's a moment of silence, then everyone starts laughing, save Remilia and two others. I already know I'm safe, since I took the number five.

"Please do not struggle, Reimu-san. I shall make it as quick as possible." Sakuya accepts the dish from Suika and pours it into her mouth before approaching the shrine maiden.

"Wa-wait! Remilia! Why yo- Mmmph!"

Afterwards, we wait for a minute while Reimu recovers, muttering about how her lips had been violated. Sakuya on the other hand, seems totally unaffected.

**Third draw:**

"My turn this time." Reisen shows us her stick. "Number seven has to-"

"Give someone else a suppository?" Tewi suggests, making me snort.

"No!" The lunar rabbit gives her counterpart a dirty look. "Number seven, slap number two and force her to drink sake."

"Hey! You saw what my number was!" Tewi accuses.

"No, I didn't." Reisen denies it, acting innocent.

The small rabbit stands up, not realizing her impending danger. "Don't you lie to- Ow! Hey- Mmmmph!"

"Ahaha, drink up, drink up!" Suika tilts the bottle higher, forcing Tewi to gulp as quickly as she can.

"Uh, Suika. It's meant to be the dish, not the whole bottle."

The oni stops and lowers the bottle, sparing the other flat-chest from drowning on sake. "Oh. Oops."

But the damage is done. With the conclusion of round three, Tewi is out, overwhelmed by the large amount of sake she imbibed.

**Fourth draw:**

"Okay, we don't need the eleventh stick now." Marisa picks it out and tosses it aside. "Here."

_Hmm, three._ _And the King is... _I see Sakuya looking at hers with an expression of mild surprise.

"Sakuya, give any command you like." Her mistress instructs.

"Umm... number six... and number two... have to... ki-kiss."

"The drink-" Suika starts.

"After drinking sake each." The maid adds.

"So who's who?" Reimu asks.

Alice holds up her stick. "I'm number six."

"I'm number two." Aya does the same.

"Okay. Here, here!"

They both take the dishes Suika offers and drink, Aya gulping it down in one shot while Alice sips hers slowly. But when it comes to the act itself...

"W-wait, I need to prepare myself first!" Alice protests, backing away as Aya floats closer, smirking.

"Don't be afraid..." The tengu purrs. "It'll be over very quickly..."

I turn away and shut out the sounds behind me. _Looks like this game is going to have a lot of that._

**Sixth draw:**

"It's me." Alice shows us the King stick. "Number one has to grope the breasts of number four."

Reimu immediately covers her chest. "Not just my lips, but my chest too?"

"Heh, don't be so uptight -ze! Then who's number one?"

I start moving my fingers, making squeezing motions. "Sorry, Reimu. The King has spoken."

I would be lying if I say that I wasn't looking forward to doing it. Part of me apologizes to the other girls in my mind, especially Keine. There's just something about purity that makes a part of me want to despoil it a little.

"Wait wait wait! That command doesn't have anything to do with drinking!" My impending victim points out desperately.

"Oh, that's right." Alice thinks for a while. "Okay, if you make any noise while he's groping you, you have to drink. If you manage to stay silent for five seconds, he has to drink three times."

In the end, Reimu gives in and lowers her arms."Fi...fine."

"Then, excuse me. Ei!"

_Hmm, bigger than they look, huh. _I exert a bit more pressure as I hear someone start counting behind me. _Unlike Keine and Reisen, she uses a sarashi _(1) _instead. Let's try... here!_

"Nn..." Reimu quickly claps her hands over her mouth, but it's too late.

"You heard her -ze!" She gestures at Suika. "Drink! Drink!"

Yuyuko, Aya and Komachi take up the chant, and Reimu empties the dish. "You'll pay for that, Ikuto." She threatens.

Around me, I can feel the animosity rising from my girls as well. Guess I went overboard in expressing my eagerness.

"Okay, next round!" I say hurriedly.

**Eigth draw:**

_Oh, I'm King. _I glance around. _Yeah right, like I can tell who's holding what._ "Okay... number ten has to have a skirt-flipping battle with number five, loser drinks."

"Alright, who am I up against!" Aya jumps to her feet.

"I am." Opposite her, Sakuya gets to her feet more elegantly.

The rest of us back away so that they have enough space, while Suika fills up a dish in preparation.

"Ready... START!" I bark.

It happens so fast I nearly miss it; Aya dashes in, her hand coming low for a quick upper, but Sakuya steps back just enough that it misses, then suddenly switches direction. The next moment, she's passing by the tengu, a left backswing lifting up that black skirt to expose more black.

"Well done, Sakuya." Remilia compliments her maid as the rest of us applaud.

"Tch! Guess I let my guard down." Aya takes the dish from Suika and drinks. "Alright, next!"

**Ninth draw:**

We gather together again and draw our sticks in turn. Seeing that mine has the number two on it, I glance to my left at Youmu, who's holding the King stick.

"Um... what should I... uhh..." Youmu closes her eyes and takes a few breaths. "Okay, number three and number eight, compete to see who finishes their dish faster. The slower one drinks another."

Across from me, Alice's eyes widen, while Reisen gasps. Within seconds, three dishes are filled, and distributed out. I blink, trying to focus through the fuzziness in my head. When Youmu gives the signal, the two of them quickly snatch up their respective dishes and start drinking, but it's Reisen who finishes first.

As Alice is taking her penalty, I lean around and tap the lunar rabbit on her shoulder. "Experience in drinking medicines?"

"Yeah." She whispers back. "That way the taste doesn't last so long."

**Eleventh draw:**

"This time, I'm the King!" Reimu glares around the circle. "Hope you're ready!"

"Just give the order already, Reimu!" Marisa pokes her friend in the side.

"Okay, number four has to take off one piece of number nine's clothing! If either refuses, both have to drink three times!"

"Sorry, I'm number eight, so I'm safe." I show the shrine maiden mine.

"Now, Youmu, don't be scared. We've done this many times before, haven't we?"

The poor girl backs away, bumping into me. "Yu-Yuyuko-sama!"

"Let's see... maybe I'll take off your underwear!" Her mistress continues to approach.

"Noooo!"

"Okay, here you go." Suika thrusts the dishes between them.

"Aww~ But I wanted to take them off..."

"Yuyuko-sama! Even for a joke, that is...!"

The little oni pours them refills twice more, and they finish it, both looking really red now. _Looks like Youmu will pass out with one more._

**Twelfth draw:**

"Oh, I'm King again." I look around. "It's the past the ninth round, isn't it?"

Sakuya, Komachi and Aya nod.

_Missed my chance back then. _"Okay! Number nine and number three, see who can do the better impression of Cirno! Loser drinks twice!"

Marisa smirks. "Alright, who am I up against?"

"It's me again." Sakuya raises her hand.

"Fine, here goes my impression..." The witch suddenly stands up and plants her fists on her hips. "Aye'm the strongest!" She performs the impression so well that those who know the fairy chuckle.

_Woah, pretty good. _I look at the opponent next to her. "Sakuya?"

"I admit my loss." The maid promptly replies.

Most of us stare at her, clearly thinking 'she just doesn't want to do it'. But in the end, she takes the penalty without complaining, so nobody voices any objection.

**Fourteenth draw:**

"My my~ I got it~" Yuyuko covers her mouth with one sleeve as she shows us proof with the other. "Lessee, what order should I give, hmm~?"

_Oh, this might be bad._ I look down at mine, which is marked seven. _Lucky number?_

"I know! How about number three has to sit in number seven's lap, and drink from the dish held by number seven?"

_Hmm, that's not a competition one, so it's not too bad. _"So who's taking the Ikuto-chair?"

"Me! Hold it steady, 'kay!" Suika hands me the dish and clambers over my knee to sit in my lap.

_Man, she feels really light. _I can't resist petting her head as I carefully bring the red dish to her mouth and tilt. _This is kind of nice._

"Pu-haaa! That was great!" She breathes out explosively. "Thanks, Ikuto!"

"N-No problem." I look around to see some of them grinning at me.

"What are you grinning for, may I know?" Remilia asks with a sly smile.

"It's just fun, that's all." I give an excuse. "Come on, let's go on to the next round."

**Seventeenth draw:**

Halfway through the drawing, Reisen keels over, overcome by the alcohol she imbibed in the last round. We take a short break while Reimu and me put her to bed in another room. When we come back, I see that Youmu has succumbed as well.

"That brings us down to nine then."

"Eight." Yuyuko corrects. "I'll be taking Youmu back so she can sleep at home."

So saying, she directs Youmu's spirit half to slip underneath the girl and lift her up, with other spirits steadying Youmu's sleeping form on either side. Reimu opens the door for her, and the lady of Hakugyokurou flies off with her gardener in tow.

"You girls have fun now~" She calls back as she leaves, before Reimu shuts the door to stop the cold air from coming in.

"Let's go -ze!" Marisa rattles the bamboo tube, already without two more sticks, and those of us remaining draw.

"Oh, I'm King now -ze!" Marisa grins. "Number five and six, play janken (2), winner drinks!"

"Don't you mean the loser?" Sakuya inquires.

"Nope, the winner drinks!"

"Finally my turn to be called, huh?" Komachi holds up her fist. "Ready! JAN! KEN! PON!"

Sakuya puts out scissors while Komachi shows paper, so the maid drinks, and the sticks go back into the tube for the next round.

**Twentieth draw:**

_Man, that exchange of sakazuki felt nice. _(3) I'm a bit suspicious by now. I've been roped in just about every other round whether it's by direct call or deflected from the person next to me, and usually with Suika or Komachi. _It doesn't look like Marisa's cheating... which means that there should be only one other person._

"Let's up the stakes. Each time you drink, it has to be two dishes at least!"

"Ikuto, I don't think that's a good-"

"Aw, come on, Reimu." Suika calls over Marisa's head. "Don't be a spoilsport!"

"Anyone else would like to object?" I look around the group. "No? Then let's do it."

The tube goes around and each of us draws.

The vampire grins. "Once again, I'm King. Numbers two and six, take off your tops or drink five times."

"I didn't figure you for such a person, Remilia." I drop the 'Lady' title now that we're among friends and I'm feeling a bit tipsy. _I know you're behind this, and I'm going to get you for it. Somehow. _"Well, whatever." I don't register her reply as I pull off my shirt. "So? Who's the other person?"

"Milady, I wish you wouldn't give such orders." Sakuya clicks her watch shut, her blouse folded neatly on the floor next to her.

_Stopped time to take it off huh? Hmm, white bra strap. _I hurriedly look away when Sakuya turns to look at me. "Okay, let's go on with the next!"

"Actually, Ikuto, since you went last round, you didn't have to do so this round." Alice reminds me.

"Ah, who cares." _Heh, I'm definitely drunk. Slightly._

Both of us make a point of ignoring Aya's fascinated stares, but when she pulls out her camera, we take her out fast; Sakuya's knives keeping the tengu off balance long enough for me to bind her with my pre-prepared Wire Performance, providing the maid with the opportunity to knock her out cold with her a chop to the back of the neck.

_Wow, I got to get her to teach me how to do that. And her bare back looks really pale. _I blink when I see the point of a dagger right before my eyes.

"Please do not stare." Sakuya requests with a polite smile, the knife in her hand not wavering one bit.

"Got it." As if to reflect the severity of the threat posed, Wire Performance accepts its banishment without any complaint.

**Twenty-fourth draw:**

"Okay, number eight and number one, uhh..." Suika grins. "Drink nonstop until one of you passes out!"

_Man, I'm lucky that's not me. _I shiver a little in this cold air, as I haven't put my shirt back on since I took it off a while back.

"So my opponent is a shinigami, is it?" Remilia looks to her right at a yawning Komachi, who seems to be emphasizing the difference in their chest sizes.

I catch the irritated glance she directs down at her own pitiful one, and hide a smirk. Suika's already moving over to them, and instead of using the red dishes and the sake from the underground, it's huge mugs that are half the size of the bottle and her gourd's inexhaustible supply of sake.

"Ready, and drink!" The grinning oni swings her hand down between the glaring vampire and the bemused shinigami, and they lift their mugs and tilt their heads back.

Three mugs. Six mugs. Ten. Thirteen. Getting progressively drunker as they drink.

By the sixteenth one, Sakuya is already looking worried, and even Marisa isn't smiling anymore. In fact, all of us are watching with bated breath except for Suika who's eagerly filling the mugs, waiting to see who will succumb first.

"Gib... ubb... yet?" Komachi slurs.

Remilia's eyes are unfocused. "Yuu... firsht..."

"And... drink!"

Komachi spills some down her front, the sake flowing between the exposed valley of her breasts to soak into her belt, while Remilia smacks the edge of her mug into her face, splashing some over her hat. But in the end, both of them manage to get mouth to mug, and drink.

"Won't... luuze..." The vampire mutters. "Not... in this... too..."

"Bring it~..." Komachi's swaying from side to side, pointing over Remilia's shoulder. "You... flat chezzz..."

"'ow dare-!" Remilia shrieks, jumping to her feet in anger, but suddenly blanches. "Oooo~h."

With that, her eyes roll back and she collapses, falling back into Sakuya's waiting arms. Her opponent stares at her downed form for a while, then raises her hands up high, not caring that the remaining sake in the mug gets splashed onto her head.

"Woooooo! Aye-" She hiccups. "WIN!"

Then she falls onto her back with a loud thump and starts snoring.

I feel the impulse to act and give in to it; my hand snaps out like a referee. "Double KO!" I yell.

Marisa and Alice cheer, while Reimu shakes her head in disbelief.

* * *

><p>With Sakuya bringing the downed Remilia back to their mansion, it seems like we have no choice but to put Komachi with Reisen. I'm carrying her to the room when someone not entirely unexpected shows up. I hear her first in the form of feet touching the ground with a landing.<p>

"May I know who you are and what are you doing with my subordinate?" The voice speaks softly but clearly.

I turn to my left. with Komachi still in my arms. "...Shikieiki-sama?"

"You know of me, I see." The deceptively young-looking girl walks closer, holding the tablet in front of her with both hands. "I ask you again, who are you, and what are you doing with Komachi?"

"I'm... called Ikuto." _Better not risk lying. _"And she's... um... drunk." _But there's no way I can cover this up._

Shikieiki sighs. "So this is what she skipped work for. But you still haven't answered my second question."

"We have another drunk person, and I was going to put Komachi with her."

I can feel her eyes probing my expression for any sign of falsehood, but since I know that I'm perfectly innocent, I have nothing to worry.

"In any case, I would like to take my subordinate back."

"Sure." I walk out onto the frozen ground and hold out the dozing shinigami.

Shikieiki tucks the tablet into her belt and moves to take the girl off my hands when Komachi suddenly speaks. "Mmm... can't drink any more, Ikuto~"

"Truly, this girl is..." The way Shikieiki says it, I can see Komachi is in for some really severe lectures.

"I'm just asking, but how much of a vacation do you people get?"

"Why do you wish to know?" She asks suspiciously.

_Hope this works. _"I'd like your cooperation in something."

"Speak."

I tell her the plan I have, and how she figures into it. Maybe it's the alcohol's influence, but I find that the words fall off my tongue extremely easily; no longer am I stuttering like I used to. In fact, I sound quite convincing to my own ears. Except that speaking them also clears them from my brain, so by the time I'm finished, I barely have any memory about the exact words I used.

"Why would you make such a request?"

"Because," I look at the eyes of the one who might judge my fate after my death. "Komachi is my friend."

She blinks. "I do not see any relation between Komachi and what you've just told me."

I wince. _Dang, I blew it. _"Well, you see... I... Okay." I breathe in and out a few times. "It's because I want to give her a break sometimes."

"She has enough of those. Without my permission, if I may add."

"I promise I'll try to make her work harder in exchange for this." _I have that feeling that I'm making another promise that might be too much for me to handle. But I'm too stoned to care right now._

"I see you're serious about this." Shikieiki steps back with the sleeping Komachi drooling in her arms. "I accept. Let me know when you need my presence, and I shall be there."

"Thank you." _Did Tewi give me luck or something? Or did Remilia put some good in my fate before she got stoned? Whatever the case, it looks like I'm having a... better not think that, feels like I'll invite bad luck if I complete that thought._

I return to the room where the rest are. "Well, Shikieiki was here to take her away, so yeah."

"Do we continue?" Marisa asks.

"I prefer if we don't." Reimu says firmly.

A moan draws our attention. "Owww... wait, why am I tied up?" Aya struggles against her bonds. "Somebody untie me!"

So that's our final number: Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Suika, Aya and me. There's only one bottle of the sake from Satori left, but most of us are already quite tipsy, except for Aya, who hasn't drunk enough to experience what the humans in the group are going through.

I raise my hand. "I got another idea for a game."

Aya and Suika seem to be interested, but the other three aren't as welcoming.

"Relax... it won't be about drinking." I reassure them. "At least, not unless someone says."

"Come on, just tell us what it is already." Aya says impatiently.

"Truth or Dare."

I go on to explain the rules. Having never played the game myself before, I just make part of it up as I go.

"I see, so when it's my turn, we pick either Truth, or Dare, and someone else will give either ask us a question or give us a dare to do." Alice summarizes. "And we can only pick the same one twice in a row?"

"Yep. Well, penalty for not answering a question or doing a dare is-"

"Drinking!" Suika finishes, and we grin at each other.

"But only once, you hear? So you better be careful when you want to refuse." I warn.

"So that means..." Alice looks away, blushing. "You can ask for that sort of stuff?"

"What sort of stuff are you referring to!" Reimu demands.

"Well, you know..."

_Better not let that get any further. _"Alright, let's just give it a test round. Let's start with Reimu. Truth or dare?"

"...fine. Truth."

"Are there any guys you think of in _that_ way?" _Direct frontal attack!_

"Oh-ho~" Aya murmurs interestedly.

"WHAT?" She's shocked, but that's to be expected. "Wh-why would you suddenly ask that?"

"Because Yukari told me to." I lie easily.

She falls for it extremely easily. "That damn hag..." Reimu mutters.

"Yeah, I wanna know too!" Marisa chimes in, and next to her, Alice leans forward slightly, expressing her interest in a more refined manner.

"Scoop~ Scoop~" Aya hums, her pen at the ready.

"There... isn't." Reimu finally mumbles.

Ever since I asked the question, I was focusing entirely on Reimu, the movement of her eyes and lips, as well as the tone of her voice. When she replies, her entire reaction gives me the impression that she's lying. _Well, that means there probably is. Wonder who, though? Doubt it's me, I'm not that much of a playboy. _I decide not to press her any further.

"Next, Marisa." I cut across Aya to prevent her from probing any further. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare -ze!"

"Alice?" I pass the buck on. "Ask her to do anything you want."

"Me? Um... okay. Marisa, I dare you to show Aya what's under your skirt."

"WHAT? No way, impossible! I can't do that -ze!"

_Woah, can't believe Alice would ask that._ "Okay, so that counts as a refusal. Which means," I plunk the mug we used for the drinking competition earlier in front of the witch, "You'd have to drink."

She eyes it nervously. "...can I pick Truth instead?"

"Not after you already picked one." I grab the bottle and start to tilt it over the mug, but stop. "But since this is just a practice round, we won't be doing it."

"Then I could have just refused to answer?" Someone else interrupts.

I glance at Reimu. "Yeah."

"I-ku-to-~" She growls ominously.

"Geez, take it easy, girl." I hold my hands up defensively. "This is just a game."

"How do the turns go? If we keep moving that way, it's always going to be the same pair." Suika asks.

_She's right. _I realize. "Dang... gimme a moment..." I think for a while. "Well, then let's do it this way, just now I asked Reimu, then Reimu will ask someone else except me. We'll just keep passing it on like that. Is that okay?"

The rest of the group agrees. "Let's start the real game -ze." Marisa rubs her hands together eagerly, making me wonder just what sort of devilish questions and dares she's got in her mind.

_But out of everyone here... the one I'm worried about the most is Aya._ Everyone in the small circle apart from the tengu herself keeps glancing at the open notebook before her; it makes her energetic grin look slightly sinister. _Just how do I avoid this..._

"Okay, I'll start." Reimu raises her hand as she speaks. "Aya, truth or dare?"

"I'm a reporter, I always reveal the truth. Therefore I choose dare!"

"I dare you to distribute naked pictures of yourself to everyone here."

_Now it's Reimu? _I look at everyone's red-tinged cheeks. _We're so fucking drunk._

Aya doesn't hesitate. "Hand me the mug." She drains it quickly and looks at me. "No asking the same questions, right?"

I nod. "So who's next?"

"Ikuto, truth or dare?"

_Knew it. _"...dare."

"I dare you to confess your love to someone here!"

I shrug. It's a much easier thing to do than expected. Turning to my left, I grab Suika's hands and hold them tightly. "Suika..."

"Wh-what?" An unexpected stutter, and it throws me off slightly.

_Personality switching... mix... match... done. _I close my eyes for a moment before opening them to look at her again. "I love you. Please go out with me." I deliver with an intense seriousness that's not made up.

She's silent, staring at me with her mouth open slightly. And when I glance around, so are the others. Eventually Reimu coughs and breaks the silence.

"Okay, you can let go of her now."

"Alright." I release Suika and turn back to face the rest of them. "No problems with that?"

As they think it over, I cover my left wrist with my right hand, feeling the warmth in the completed chain fade quickly. A quick peek down at it reveals that the final piece is a blank chip. _Just like with Keine? That means... _The sound of someone answering for the group tears me away from completing that thought.

"No, no, not at all~" Aya's smirking at me, while Alice's expression is unreadable.

_Hmm, just how many of them did I fool into thinking it was a super-realistic act? _Rather than waste time considering it, I opt to distract them instead. "Marisa, truth or dare?"

"I pick truth -ze." Apparently, Alice's dare made an impression on her.

_Dang, I didn't think of one good one. _"Are you homosexual?" I ask bluntly, causing nearly everyone else to snort.

"WHAT? No way -ze! I'm straight! Straight!" She splutters.

Shrugging, I sit back, supporting myself with my hands. "Alright, your turn next."

She glowers at me, but turns to Suika. "Suika, truth or dare?"

"Dare." The oni answers in a carefree tone.

"Fine..." Marisa grins at me. "I dare you to kiss Ikuto!"

Suika shrugs and crawls over to me. I turn my head to face her, and she lightly touches her lips to mine. The brief moment of contact sets off fireworks of joy inside me, though slightly dampened by the alcohol in my blood. Once again, the chain heats up on my wrist, only fading when she pulls away.

"There. Now it's my turn next." Suika makes a mocking toast to Reimu. "Reimu, Reimu, truth or dare?"

The shrine maiden tenses up slightly. "Truth." She finally says after a moment's pause.

"What would you do if someone took away your donation box?"

Instantly, a gigantic aura with heavy pressure bursts from the Hakurei shrine maiden, making every one present flinch back slightly. It's answer enough; for the thief who would dare to do such a thing, only death awaits.

"Never mind. Don't answer that, Reimu, just ask the next person."

The aura vanishes. "Alright," She looks around the circle. "Aya, truth or dare?"

"Me again? Hmm..."

"You picked dare last time, so if you do the same this time, it'll have to be truth the next time you're called." I remind her.

I pretend to take my time pushing my hair away from my forehead with my left as the game goes on. _Yep, a purple gourd. _I confirm my expectations of the last chip. _So Suika feels that way too. That's... great. Whooo~ I'm drunk, I'm fucking drunk~_

"Ikuto, truth or dare?" Someone asks.

I blink and lower my arm. "Dare."

"I dare you to use one of the favors you're owed -ze."

I focus my vision on the grinning Marisa. "Trying to get out of owing me, huh?"

"Yep."

_Too bad, I have other plans for that favor. _I return the grin. "Too bad, you said 'one of'. There's another person who owes me a favor, remember?" I turn to Suika. "It's probably pointless to say this now, but please love me back."

"NO!" Alice gasps, the only speaker among the rest.

I give her a look that says 'stay!' and turn back to face Suika, who's in that mouth-open pose again. On her other side, Aya is busy scribbling in her notebook, but I ignore her. Same goes for the others... only because the darkness lurking within the alcohol suddenly picks this time to pounce and claim my consciousness.

* * *

><p>My eyes snap open and I sit up suddenly. It's all dark... no, there's some gray light shining through the paper screen door. Looking around, I see figures slumped around the place, Alice, Marisa, Reimu and even Aya, all asleep on the floor with overturned plates and bottles near them.<p>

"You're awake?" The last person asks me softly.

"Not really." I can feel the alcohol still in my body, coming after my mind again now that I'm conscious. _I shouldn't be awake right now... unless... _I focus on the oni sitting in front of me. _Yeah, that's right. Just like with Keine. There's someone I have something to tell at all costs. _"What happened?"

"After you keeled over, we decided to just leave you sleeping in the room since you were too heavy to move."

I raise one eyebrow questioningly. "You or Aya can lift me up without any problem. Is it because you wanted to leave me here?"

"Maybe." Suika takes a drink from her gourd.

"Well, what happened next?" _Man, I'm totally running my mouth off here._

She indicates the others with a tilt of her gourd. "We continued playing, drinking until everyone else was down. The puppet girl was trying to cuddle you, you know."

_Alice... _I sigh. "You stopped her, didn't you? Thanks."

"No problem."

There's a brief spell of silence as we just look at each other, passing the endless gourd back and forth without a word, drinking without taking our eyes off each other. The issue that I raised during the game is hanging over us with the tiniest of pressures, building up gradually until I finally make my move.

"Suika..."

She doesn't say anything, and just looks at me expectantly.

Still, I have to admit, the sake helps in getting the words out of my mouth. "I was serious. Totally serious. I love you."

* * *

><p>(1) A roll of cloth uses to bind a girl's breasts. Olden bra, one might say.<p>

(2) Scissors-paper-stone.

(3) An exchange of sake in those red dishes, usually used as a way to express loyalty or swear brotherhood. Of course, it's clear which type Ikuto did.

This chapter took a while to write, since school has started, and there is so much stuff from Comiket 80 to read and enjoy.

As usual, total randomness in my writing. It's going to be another X chapter the next time with some extra scenes written in besides the obvious one that's going to come, but it'll probably take a lot longer since in addition to the requirement of being in the right mood, Comiket releases are still trickling in. There's just a LOT of new ideas of how to ... Suika. (Yes, I purposely left the word out. U mad?)

You might think that Keine and Reisen are getting it a bit unlucky at the moment, but believe me, I have the image clearly in my mind, it's just that I don't want to make this too much about the sex (plus it's hard to write descriptions for everything). So sorry, but whether you get to read more sex scenes is up to my own mood.

So Ikuto has plans... one that involves Shikieiki, another that involves Marisa...

Just what ability does Suika's Keyblade grant, and what will happen now that the chain is finally completed? That will be answered eventually... But I'd like to hear what you think will happen, as well as what possible new abilities might spawn from it.


	33. Chapter 32X: Who's S and Who's M

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	34. Chapter 33: Just Walking About

**Once again, thanks to everyone for reading this fanfic and staying through my crappy sex scene chapters.**

* * *

><p>Where am I? <em>I wonder as I look around at my surroundings. <em>I should be at the place where Komachi and Iku are, but instead I'm in this weird room?

_The single room I'm in looks like it's half white and half black, but the closer I look, it's like the white is black and the black is white, the overall effect giving me a headache. I rub my forehead with my left, and notice something around my wrist._

_"A key ring?" _The keys don't make any noise. _I use my other hand to examine them. "Phantom Blossom? Record Rewrite? Wire Performance?" _

_All the Keyblades I've gained since the time I first manifested Future Gazer are hanging from a ring around my left wrist in miniature form, including one extra one that is so tiny I can't make out much of it apart from its red and purple color scheme._

Looks like it's meant to wind up some tiny clock. This must be.. Suika's. _I pull at it slightly, and find that the chain that connects the key and the ring stretches without any trouble. _But what purpose do these serve?

_Just as I wonder that, I realize that there is a door on the wall in front of me. As if its discovery was a trigger, I suddenly notice that there are doors all around me, like they just popped into existence. Turning around where I stand, I start counting. Sure enough, there are ten of them, one for each of the girls I've been with._

But why the hell is everything looking so misty? This is like I'm having a dream. _I walk over to the door that's in front of me, which has a picture of a purple gourd in the center of its deep brown wood, and a tiny slit just below it. _So simple an idiot could figure it out, I guess. _Suika's key is still in my right hand, and I insert it into the keyhole and turn it, then push... no, pull the door open. _Just how the heck am I pulling it when I'm not holding onto a handle?

_"Who's that? Oh, Ikuto, whatcha doin' here?" A familiar voice calls out to me through the door, sounding drunk as usual._

_"Suika? I don't know. What are you doing here?"_

_The oni shrugs as she walks through the doorway, not caring about it vanishing and leaving a blank wall behind her. "Dunno. Maybe we're having the same dream."_

_"Same dream..." I say to myself. "I don't think... this is really a dream."_

_"Huh? What do you mean?"_

_I walk over to the next door, which is marked by the outline of a hat I know very well. Without hesitating, I search through the keys for Record Rewrite and unlock it, revealing Keine. Or more appropriately, two Keines, one in her normal form, the other in her hakutaku form. As with Suika, once they pass the threshold of the door, it vanishes behind them._

_"Ikuto, where is-" The normal Keine starts._

_"-this place?" The hakutaku Keine finishes._

_"I'm not too sure myself, but I'll try to explain when everyone else is here."_

_"Who's everyone else, Ikuto?" Suika asks as I walk around the room, unlocking door after door to admit their respective girl into the place. "Woah... this many?"_

_When Alice finally enters the room (a decision I took a while to make), I turn to face every single one of the girls I slept with ever since I came to Gensokyo, all wondering at how they suddenly came to be in this place. The first thing I do is bow and apologize to them for being a total, cheating shithead, mainly directed at both Keines, Reisen, Youmu and Suika. The reaction is obvious; some are confused, others show varying levels of acceptance, and there are some who react unfavorably._

_"As for what this place is, I'm guessing it's probably inside me." I change the subject, trying not to meet Mokou's guilt-inducing glare._

_"Inside... you?" Alice asks, squirming oddly._

Geez, stop that. Don't have wild delusions inside my soul... wait, is this my soul? _"Yeah... I'm sure I mentioned this to some of you before, but I think that the different Keyblade forms come from the link I have to each one of you."_

_"What's a Keyblade?" Suika asks._

_"You..." I stop, realizing that I've never really shown my weapon in front of Suika. "Never mind, I'll explain it later. Anyway, apparently the link has developed enough for this to happen... though I have no idea why. Well, I was planning to confess everything eventually, so... yeah."_

_"Haa... that's just like you, Ikuto-" "-always getting yourself into situations like this." The Keines speak._

_"I don't mind if any of you want to hit me or- OWWWW!"_

_Reisen takes me up on the offer immediately; her fingers are clamped on my ear, twisting it mercilessly while Mokou comes up to put me in a headlock in the other direction._

_"I said I won't allow you to hurt Keine, didn't I?" Her grip tightens gradually._

_"I know! I know! I'm sorry! Owowowow!" _Figures, the two tsunderes in the group are the ones who don't like it.

_"My my~ Isn't that a wonderful sight?" Yuyuko remarks._

_"Indeed it is." I hear Eirin reply, clearly enjoying the sight of me getting what I deserve._

Yep, she's still mad that I did that to her. Even though she really enjoye- _"GYAAAA! IT'S COMING OFF! IT'S COMING OFF! STOOOARRGGBBBLGH!" Mokou's choke cuts off my air._

_"Ikuto! Are you okay?"_

_"Don't help him! He needs to be punished!" Reisen snaps at Youmu._

_Further away, I can hear Komachi talking to Suika. "So, how was he?"_

_"Really good. I think the feeling will stay with me for quite a while."_

_"I enjoyed mine too." Alice volunteers._

_"Me as well." Kaguya adds. "He's particularly good with his hands too."_

_"I~ku~to~" Keine, the one with the horns, comes up with a dangerous smile on her face._

Oh shit, there's no way she's going to stay calm when there are four girls discussing how I am in the sack right in front of her. _Reisen and Mokou let me up slightly, and Keine's cool hands cup my face on either side. "Um, Keine, please calm down. I-"_

_The next moment, I see stars through a haze of intense pain. Ow. So that's how a headbutt is like with horns thrown into the mix._

_A few minutes later, I'm sitting against the wall with Youmu rubbing my head worriedly. It seems like Reisen's and Mokou's anger have run their course, but they aren't going to throw themselves at me just yet. Just in case, I keep apologizing._

_"You better make it up to me for this." I hear Reisen say._

_"I don't care about me, but you better keep Keine happy, or else..."_

_"Mokou!" Both Keines exclaim together._

_"Understood. I'm sorry, please forgive me."_

_"But just what is this place? The door I came through isn't there anymore." Someone says out loud._

_"Maybe you need to do something to make it reappear?" Yuyuko suggests jokingly. "Like defeat the boss of the place?"_

_I twitch, feeling the spotlight of attention suddenly focus on me. "I solemnly swear that I have no idea myself."_

_"It wouldn't hurt to try." Alice murmurs, and I hear sounds of agreement from some of them._

_I look up at the approaching crowd. "Umm... wait, what are you all going to- Mmmph!" _So this is how it's like to have my own lips being violated...

_The one who kisses me first is Yuyuko, then Alice, then Komachi, then one by one, the rest take their turn, and I hear murmurs of approval as each one finishes up. Clearly kissing is the key... though I'm seriously wondering who the heck came up with this sort of weird rule. Strangely, I feel something changing inside me after each contact; is this another effect of completing the chain?_

_"I'll be leaving first. Come along, Youmu."_

_"A-ah, yes, Yuyuko-sama! Ikuto, I'll try to- Aaaah! Wait, Yuyuko-samaaaa-!"_

_I look up to see Yuyuko slamming the door on Youmu. Looks like she threw her through the door. Yuyuko notices me looking and gives me a small smile before exiting through her own door. Komachi locks her fingers behind her head and leaves as well, followed by Eirin, Reisen and Kaguya, each giving me friendly words of parting before they go, although Eirin's has a triumphant tone to it. She totally enjoyed seeing me get whacked. Reisen is still a bit huffy over the entire incident, but she's civil enough._

_I look at Alice, who made her kiss extra long compared to the others. "Aren't you going yet?"_

_"Well... actually... I don't mind-"_

_"Just go." I get up and push her out of the room, before turning to look at Suika, the Keines and Mokou, the only ones who haven't kissed me yet. "Mokou?"_

_The white-haired girl suddenly kicks me in the side, making me flinch slightly. "I haven't forgiven you yet."_

_"Mokou, I'm sure-" "-he's sorry enough already."_

_"Keine, this guy is an idiot. You need to slap some sense into him."_

_"I'm sure he'll behave."_

_"I'll make sure to do that."_

_I stare, as do Mokou and Suika. The two Keines had just disagreed with each other, the hakutaku one sharing Mokou's sentiments, while the other opted for the more forgiving choice._

_"What are you-" "-staring at me for?"_

_"Never mind..." I mutter, and the other two shake their heads as well._

_"Well, I'd better get back to trashing Kaguya at her game." Mokou grabs the front of my shirt and yanks me close to press her lips against mine. "Don't make me regret choosing you, Ikuto." She whispers into my ear._

_"So tsunde- UGGGH!" I keel over, the recipient of a heavy blow to the body._

_"Don't spoil it. I'll be leaving first, Keine." She leaves through the door that appeared after she kissed me._

_"Heh, Ikuto sure gets around, doesn't he?" Suika sounds amused._

_"I know, it is-" "-quite a bother. But I-" "-accepted it already."_

_"Something for which I'm totally grateful and feel undeserving of..." I groan, rolling onto my back._

_"I really like this guy. He's pretty fun for a human." Suika flops down next to me._

_"Ikuto." Both Keines call my name at the same time. "Why haven't you-" "-slept with me since-" "-that day?"_

What can I say? I was planning to screw you silly when the time is right? _"Umm..."_

_"Maybe because he was feeling guilty for having so many other girls?" The oni suggests playfully._

_"Is that-" "-true, Ikuto?"_

Not really... but it's a lot easier than explaining the truth. _I nod. "Yeah."_

_"I thought you already knew that I love you enough not to care about that." Both of them speak at the same time, lending even more impact to their stern tone._

_"Sorry."_

_"You're forgiven." "But I expect some..." The normal Keine trails off, blushing._

_"Okay." _Yay, I can only speak one-word answers- WHAT THE HECK AM I THINKING! _My brain just picks the weirdest times to express its stupidity._

_"Well, since that's cleared up, I suppose we're done here?" Suika asks. "Being here makes it harder for me to recall how it's like to be drunk."_

So she wants to wake up so she can continue drinking? Oh well... _I let the remaining pair- no, make that trio- kiss me so they can leave. _Now I'm alone in this place... how do I get out anyway? And... _unlike the others, I didn't feel that change when they kissed me. _GAAAAH! WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT HOW THEIR KISSES FELT! STUPID LIBIDO! STUPID LIBIDO!

_That decides it... I've GOT to stop having sex so much. Apart from keeping Keine and Suika satisfied, that is._

* * *

><p>"So this is Future Gazer." I show Suika my basic Keyblade, taking a few swings to show how I normally use it as a sword. "And using the information stored inside this," I hold up my wrist to show her the chain, "I can change it for a different form." I twirl it and change over to Phantom Blossom.<p>

"Oooh~"

_Man, I know she's WAY older than me, but when you consider her size and enthusiasm, it's hard not to feel proud of myself. _I smile appreciatively at her.

"Then what's mine like?"

"Let's find out."

It's early in the morning after the party, just past dawn, and Reimu has kicked us out because she's suffering from a hangover. The other three have already left, preferring to continue their sleep in the comfort of their respective homes, but for some reason I'm feeling quite energetic despite the lack of sleep last night, and so is Suika. So we're headed for the village for some breakfast, and I'm showing her the Keyblades like I promised to in that weird place along the way.

_Well, it's all too easy to call out hers. She loves parties and having fun, yet she's incredibly strong- _The Keyblade shifts in my hand. _Hmm... well now. So all the Keyblades were scaled equally, huh?_

"Kind of small, isn't it?" Suika sounds unimpressed.

"Yeah, like you." I tease her, ruffling her hair good-naturedly.

She wriggles under my hand. "Haha, stop that."

"Okay, how about this?"

"Mm! Mmmm..."

Suika's Keyblade is the smallest of them all, practically a one-handed dagger. The thin red shaft actually looks like a blade, tapering into a sharp red point. _Well, that explains why the bit is made up of a square and a circle, but no triangle. The three ornaments that Suika wears on her. _I break off the kiss with Suika and look at it again. _Molded red handle, small curved purple guard... And a gourd for a keychain. Totally unsurprising._

"But you know, I really like this one." I reverse the grip manually and slash the air a few times. "It's like a total fit for me."

"Aw, you're making me blush!" Suika thumps me in the small of my back, making me stumble.

_Huh? That's weird. _I regain my balance and look back at her. "Hey..."

"What?" She looks at me questioningly. At least, as questioning as any drunk person can be.

_Doesn't look like she's realized it. _I look around. _Oh, that's..._

I walk towards the rock I used to cut into slices every time I passed by. Right now it's been flipped over entirely, but what I'm intending to do isn't anything so precise. The head of the key has a curvature that looks strange at first, but I've realized that the curving creates a series of bumps along the outer edge, making it for all purposes... a knuckleduster.

_Time to see if my reasoning is right. Suika doesn't hit that soft. _I bend my legs slightly, and jump up. "HA!"

The effect is beyond what I expected. My fist smashes through the entire rock, blasting each layer into shards as I tear through. And when I hit the ground beneath it, it creates a huge crater.

Suika whistles. "That's some strength. I didn't know you became this strong."

I flex my wrist. "Nope. That's the power of this Keyblade." _Not even scratched._

It appears that Suika's Keyblade grants me the strength and sturdiness of an oni, but I have a strong feeling that that's not all there is.

"If it's mine, maybe you can gather things too!" Suika suggests what I was thinking.

"Let's try it then!" I flip the weapon around again and point the point of it at the remains of the rock. "Is there anything I'm supposed to do? How do you do it, anyway?"

"I dunno, I just call everything together."

"Heh. Let's give that a try then." I picture the pieces of the rock coming together.

It works exactly like how I imagine it, except that instead of reforming the original rock, I end up with a big grey sphere. A very HEAVY sphere; it feels as though I'm carrying it directly despite the fact that it's floating in the air at the tip of the Keyblade. After a few moments, I give it up and drop the giant sphere by breaking my focus on it, catching it in my hand. I expected it to crumble apart, but it seems like all the pieces have been compressed together.

"Hey, come on already! I'm hungry! I'm going to leave you behind if you're not coming~" Without waiting for my reply, Suika takes off, running in her usual bird-like manner.

_Huh? The sphere feels lighter than it did when I was using the Keyblade. _I toss the sphere down into the center of the crater and head after Suika.

"So what's the name of my Keyblade?" The oni asks as I catch up to her.

"Haven't thought of one yet. And slow down, will ya?" I grab Suika's wrist to slow her down. "No need to rush."

Suika slows down to a walk. "Oh, okay. So? What's the name?"

_Hmm... it's a bit tough... let's go with that then. _I tell her about Yuyuko's way of naming. "Wanna try?" I stop running, and turn to face Suika.

She stops as well. "Sounds fun! Let's do it!"

"Okay... one, two!" She covers her hand with mine.

"Festival!" Suika gives me a toothy grin.

_Just like her. _"Horn!" I grin back, looking at the things that mark her as an oni.

The keychain flares, and a red dish joins the gourd. We look at it, then at each other. And then, we say the same thing to commemorate this bond we have.

"CHEERS!"

When we enter the village, the surrounding villagers stop chattering and stare in our direction. Well, it's not like I can't understand why, since Suika and I are holding hands. Or rather, she's dragging me along behind her as she strides towards a ramen shop. Those we pass by start muttering among themselves... looks like my reputation is going down even further, though I think it's already at rock bottom.

"Hiya! Two bowls of your biggest!" Suika calls out as she enters the just-opened store.

"O-oh... alright..."

_Yeah man, I can understand what you're feeling... seeing an oni come into your store with the biggest playboy in the area in tow, makes you wonder whether she's abducting him or the other way around. _I let her seat me at the counter without resisting, and just shrug when the cook looks at me.

"Don'tcha worry, this one's on me!" Suika says cheerfully.

My hand stops in the middle of pulling out my wallet. "Okay, thanks." _It's supposed to be the guy treating the girl, but then again..._

The cook soon serves up two steaming bowls of ramen laden with lots of meat and vegetables. The smell is so enticing that I actually have to wipe the drool from my mouth. Both the cook and Suika chuckle when they notice that, but I just ready my chopsticks and dig right in.

"Delicious!" I can't resist saying, grinning at the man across the counter.

He laughs. "You always say that whenever you come in here."

"But it is!" I insist.

"Okay, okay, thanks for the compliment." He rests one elbow on the counter, leaning backwards to look at us more closely. "So, you... and her?"

I glance at Suika, who's happily slurping up the noodles without showing any sign that she heard his question. "Yeah."

The man jerks back in shock. "Another one?" He asks incredulously. "Hey now, you _really_ get around, don't you?"

I shrug again. "What can I say? It's not something I can explain." I slurp up more of the ramen. "Mmbh... besides, I have to say she's just as responsible for it."

"Ehe~" Suika chuckles, tilting her head so she can jab me in the side with her horn.

"See?"

"So, that means you two..." He lowers his voice. "Did it?"

"Suika?" I turn to ask the oni's permission.

She nods in assent, saving me the trouble of answering. But I know that that's not the only trouble that's lined up for me.

"An oni..." The cook turns around and starts working again. "I'll give you another bowl for doing something so crazy. Besides, you probably need the energy! Hahaha!"

Yep, I shall forever be known as the playboy outsider who has no boundaries when it comes to the girls he'll sleep with. Be it half-ghosts, ghosts, shinigamis, rabbits, immortals, aliens or youkais, every one of them is fair play.

Despite the exertion I went through last night, I barely manage to choke down the second bowl, and that's with Suika helping herself to some of it.

"Oh yeah, you mind doing me a favor?" The man asks as we get up from our seats.

"Huh? What is it?" It's not uncommon for me to do this sort of thing for some of the shopkeepers, so I'm pretty much used to it.

"I've no idea where that kid's gotten to, and I've got a delivery for Myouren Temple."

"Ohh~ that new bunch from the underground, huh?" Suika pokes me with an elbow. "I haven't been there yet, Ikuto. Let's go!"

I look at the man. "Well, that decides it."

"Haha, thanks! I knew I could count on you! Just a moment." He ducks behind the counter, then comes back up with a large delivery case. "Here you go!"

I take it with a nod, and leave the shop with Suika walking alongside. _Let's see, Myouren Temple is... come to think of it, I haven't really been there. I know it's some distance outside the village, but I just don't know where._

"Where is the place, anyway?" Suika voices the same thing I was thinking.

"No idea, guess we'll just have to ask around."

Such an anti-climatic start to a journey to a new place. Well, it's not like I'm expecting anything...

* * *

><p><em>Keine, can you hear me? <em>I try sending the mental message through our link.

She responds immediately. _Yes, Ikuto? _

_Oh good, I managed to get through. I'm just informing you I won't be back until after lunch. _I look around at the rest of the people I'm with, and I can feel her do the same.

I feel a sense of recognition from her. _Ah, you're with them? Understood. Don't stay out too late._

_Of course not. I love you, Keine. _

_I love you too._ With that, our connection ceases, and I turn my attention towards the crowd I'm with.

In particular is the girl in the black dress staring daggers at me. Well, that's to be expected given the fact that I put Nue in an armlock the first time we met. Rather than provoke her by staring back, I let my eyes wander around the rest of the group. Kogasa isn't part of the group, because I accidentally punched her unconscious when she suddenly popped out in an attempt to scare me.

I've met Nazrin before, but that was when she attacked me thinking I was hurting Byakuren. This time, the mouse youkai is chatting amicably with other members of the Myouren group, discussing small events that happened around Gensokyo.

Seated next to her is the tiger youkai, Shou Toramaru. With her brown dress, white flowing sleeves and the white scarf, the only indication of her youkai heritage is that tiger-design sash around her waist. I'd thought that her blonde hair and yellow eyes would make her stand out, but considering the other people around this place...

_Well, she does look like a goddess... albeit one that looks like she'd forget stuff while doing her work._

"What are you staring at Shou for? I bet you were thinking she's the diligent type, right?" A boyish voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Uh... yeah."

"Geez, Ikuto~ stare at me instead, will ya!" Suika sniggers, digging her horn into my shoulder.

"Okay, okay..." I sling an arm around her shoulder and hug her close in a mock headlock, looking at the earlier speaker. "So, was I right?"

The girl in the sailor clothing snorts. "Nope. She focuses on her work so much she ends up forgetting things, then Nazrin has to go and find them for her."

"Ah! Murasa, you don't have to tell him that!" Shou protests.

Murasa Minamitsu is a... ghost, I think? _White sailor suit with green trimming, complete with red scarf. _She's not wearing the cap to complete the look, but that's because it's stupid to wear it indoors, unlike people like Shou or Ichirin who're wearing headdresses that aren't that easy to put on or take off. _But apart from her Western clothing, she's the one who looks the most Asian here._

Next to her, Ichirin Kumoi is the third human-looking member of the group. Or she would be if not for the pink cloud hanging over her. It's a bit uncomfortable to see the face of an old man staring back at me when I look at it, so I try to avoid letting my gaze rest on it for too long. _Dark blue headdress and white dress, with two wavy locks of purple framing her face, the only part of her body that's exposed apart from her hands. Really, she looks like a nun._

"My, you and her really get along, don't you~" The final member of our gathering, Byakuren herself, seems to enjoy watching me horsing around with Suika.

"Yep, we're really close!" I declare, poking the oni's cheek while her head's in the crook of my arm. "Ow, Suika, ow."

"Hehe~" As expected, she's gnawing on my finger. "Chake jat, Ikuto!"

Shou sighs, sounding a bit envious. "If only the humans back then treated youkai that way..."

"They would have been killed instantly." I retort. "It's not just humans who've changed, the youkai have too."

"I suppose they have at that." She concedes.

"By the way, how long has it been since you all started living on the surface?"

"Hmm... Nazrin, do you know?" The tiger youkai asks her attendant mouse.

"Slightly over half a year."

"That's like just before I came then."

"Hey Ikuto." Suika calls my name from around my chest.

"Hm?" I look down, and she suddenly presses her lips against mine. "Mmm! Mmmmm..."

"My!" That was Byakuren.

"Oi oi..."

"Do that somewhere else, will you?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Suika pulls away and looks at the last speaker, which is Nue, of course. "Wanna fight?" She asks in a simple tone of voice.

"Fine with me!" Nue grabs her trident and jumps to her feet.

As they begin an intense danmaku battle outside, the rest of the group stares at me. Most of them have incredulous looks, but Byakuren has a sparkling aura around her. _Looks like she's a romantic for human-youkai relationships._

"Okay, any questions you all would like to ask?" I ask them bluntly.

Nazrin and Ichirin look away, but Murasa takes the first shot. "You're a human, she's an oni. Do you really think it's going to work?"

I raise one eyebrow at her. "I'm happy, she's happy, so we'll deal with that when it comes to it." My answer makes Byakuren gasp with apparent joy.

"But aren't you with another..." This time it's Shou.

_Oh boy. That's the tough question._ I breathe in slowly and exhale. "Yes. I am."

"Then..." Shou start, but I cut her off.

"We worked that out. It's not a problem."

"But-!"

"Now, now, Shou. As long as Ikuto here isn't hurting anyone, it's okay, isn't it?" Byakuren soothes.

"Hijiri!" The tiger youkai lets out one last protest, but the determination in Byakuren quells her soon enough.

Byakuren turns back to me, smiling. "Ikuto, I hope and pray that your relationship with her will be a happy one."

I bow my head to Byakuren. "Thank you."

"Hey."

We all turn to look at the door, where Suika is standing with Nue's limp body dangling by her side, the oni holding onto the back of the battered youkai's dress. As we watch, she tosses Nue into the room, and the unconscious youkai rolls a short distance before coming to a stop, letting out a moan of pain.

"When she wakes up, tell her that she better not insult my relationship with Ikuto."

Next to me, Murasa mutters, "You sure you want to be with her?"

"Hell yeah," I whisper back, "I'm loving her even more."

My beloved oni sees me looking at her, and gives me a warm look with a toothy grin.

* * *

><p>"Ooooi~ Ikutoooo~ Is it ready yet~?"<p>

"Just a bit more!" I call back. "Can't you wait quietly?"

"But it smells so goooood..."

"Yeah yeah..." I pull the fries out of the pan and shake them around to get rid of the extra oil before sprinkling a bit of salt over them and putting it all into a plate. "Alright, here you go, greedy kids." I sneer at the bunch of children waiting with Suika.

After lunch with the Myouren bunch, I headed back to the village with Suika to hand the payment back to the ramen shop owner, who seemed to have his own ideas about why we took so long. And in the few hours since we were gone, the news had spread all over. I heard a few mutters of 'lolicon' and 'pedophile', which was quite embarrassing. And Suika was about to go Missing Power on them before I stopped her.

In the end, we managed to reach Keine's school without incident, and with nothing to do, I decided to make some snacks. The first thing I thought of happened to be fries, which was actually quite easy to make. Especially with her mini-clones helping to peel the potatoes, man, they're really convenient to have.

Then Keine let her class take a break, and a kid smelt the fries and told the rest. Which is why I had to cook more for the rest. Really... it's winter, kids. It's not like we're going to get potatoes from a different state where they're grown. But as usual, I keep it to myself and just serve them the food.

"Delicious~"

"**Mmm~ could use a bit more salt though.**"

"Too much is unhealthy for you." I tell the girl with green hair firmly. "Look, you got salt over your mouth. Eat less messily, will you?" I take a small towel and wipe her mouth.

"Haha, Ikuto, you're like a daddy!"

"And you're like a kid yourself, Suika." I retort.

"But ya still love me, right?"

I facepalm as the other kids go silent and stare at me. I can tell Keine is doing the same... _Dammit, Suika... you really are a demon _(1)! I finally look up and at her, then at Keine.

"Yes, I love you and Keine both." I admit out loud in front of everyone.

Then I run away as the children let out exclamations of surprise and awe, leaving my two lovers to field any questions for me.

The girl from earlier finds me sitting against the well where I brought Keine out to stargaze. "**That was quite the confession, Ikuto.**" Koishi comments, "**And what are you doing?**"

"Whittling." I reply without looking up from the piece of wood I'm currently carving strips off.

"**What are you making?**"

"..." I blink down at the misshapen piece of wood that had originally been a perfect cylindrical shape. "I don't... really know."

"**But your subconscious does.**" Koishi sits down next to me. "**You really do love them, don't you?**"

I snort in spite of myself. "Need you ask?"

"**How nice...**"

I return back to carving. "What is?"

"**Love isn't something that's common in the underground.**" Koishi sounds wistful.

"Is it really that interesting?" I ask absently, taking care not to cut myself as I continue moving the knife along the wood. "Being in a relationship isn't always fun, you know. It goes up and down, and sometimes it's..." I trail off. _Man, _I'm_ explaining love to a youkai so many times my age?_

"**Sometimes it's?**"

"You learn stuff about yourself that you don't want your partner to know." _Really... that's the truth._

"Here you are." I hear Suika's voice squeak.

I look around and finally spot a mini-Suika on the lip of the well behind me. She jumps off the edge and floats down to land onto my raised knee. _Like one of Alice's cute dolls, except... _I stroke that tiny cheek with one finger. _Super cuuuuuute!_

"Nyahaha! Shtop that, Ikuto!" She pushes my finger away with just as much strength as the original. "Hey, come back, will ya?"

I flick the tiny skirt up with the finger to expose her drawers. "Not until I know the kids are back in class."

"Aww~ No need to be so shy, Ikuto~" Mini Suika flaps her right hand at me, while holding the skirt down with the other. "And we can't do it when I'm like this."

"Hey now..." I mutter awkwardly. "That's not something to discuss in front of others."

"But there's no one else here."

I look around. Just like Suika said, there isn't anyone else around. Looks like Koishi pulled off one of her disappearing trick with her ability to manipulate the subconscious. I can perceive her when she's around, but she always manages to disappear when my attention is briefly diverted.

"Hey, come on, Ikuto~ Being alone is boring, you know~?"

"Okay, okay..."

Her job done, Suika disperses into mist that fades away. I tuck away the piece of wood and get to my feet, taking one last look around the place before walking out of there.

_Center of attention, that's me. _Indeed, just by walking down the street, I'm drawing a lot of attention. From being the outsider who came recently, I've become the playboy. _Wait, did I have that thought before? Feels like I did._

I suddenly see someone coming towards me, and in spite of myself, I stop walking. She can't be coming for me, can she? Okay, let's just test something... I cut sharply to the side and cross to the opposite side of the street, before turning back to continue onwards in the same direction.

_Uh. Oh. Shit. She IS coming for me. _Before I can turn and run, the person comes to a stop in front of me.

Slowly spinning her umbrella to shake off the light snow that had built up on it, the green-haired, red-eyed woman looks at me with an expression of amused curiosity. Just what did I do to draw the attention of Yuuka Kazami, the one touted as the sadist of Gensokyo? I meet her eyes once, then quickly drop them down to her red skirt.

"Good afternoon." I greet quietly.

"Good afternoon to you." She replies, but her skirt doesn't show any sign of going to move around me.

"..."

"Why are you so quiet? Isn't there something you'd like to say?"

_I think she's baiting me. _"Goodbye?" I suggest.

I hear a sigh. "No, that's not it." Then she's silent again.

_Crap. She's waiting for my second try... hmm. Oh. Of course. _I look up and meet those red eyes. "I'm Ikuto. Nice to meet you."

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine."

Then she smiles, and suddenly I feel like a fly being caught by a venus flytrap. _Just what does she want with me?_

"Uh, well, I better be going, so..." I make to walk past her, but Yuuka grabs the back of my collar.

"Now, now, don't be in such a rush. Why don't you accompany me for a while?" She 'suggests' sweetly, already dragging me along with her.

"..." I cross my arms, looking at the trails my heels are leaving in the snow. "Can I ask something?"

"Feel free."

"If I scream rape here, what would happen?" _When in an insane situation, you've got to ask a stupid question!_

Yuuka suddenly laughs loudly. "You really are an interesting human!"

"But you still aren't going to let me go, are you?" I grumble. "Where are you taking me anyway?"

"Ah, we're here."

_What a great coincidence. _I look around to see where she brought me to. _A weird store... is it full of S&M stuff? Is she going to make me her slave or something?_

Her grip on my collar tightens. "Why do I feel like you just had a very impolite thought?"

"Who, me? Ahaha, nope, I wasn't even thinking at all."

"Well, get up and walk."

I do as she says, shaking the snow off my shoes. "You're not afraid that I'll try to run?"

"Are you familiar with the witch's best spell?"

"Witch? Oh, you mean Marisa. That means... her Master Spark. That means..." _Oh yeah, Marisa stole Master Spark from Yuuka. _

Yuuka smiles at the sight of the expression I make when I reach the inevitable conclusion. "Ah good, I see you understand the point I'm trying to make. Now, follow me please."

_Well, she did say please. I suppose it couldn't hurt. Ah crap, I thought that. DEATH FLAG RAISED! _Steeling myself, I step in after Yuuka.

The place I enter turns out to be a simple restaurant, but judging from the servers and customers around the place, it's run by youkai. And seeing how another server comes up to take over the initial one, it appears that not only is Yuuka a regular customer, but she's exempted from having to leave her umbrella at the entrance. Just what did she do to get permission, I wonder...

"Was that girl new?" Yuuka asks as she takes her seat at the table we were shown to.

"Ye-yes..." The server shoots me a nervous glance. "Ma-may I take your order?"

Yuuka looks at me. "What would you like?"

"What would you recommend?" _Not safe to ask for things when you don't know what's being served._

Nodding, she turns back to the waiter. "The usual tea, for both of us."

"Right away!"

I fidget a little, trying not to stare at the flower youkai. "So... mind telling me what you brought me here for?"

"Now, don't be so hasty." Yuuka leans forward onto her elbows, pushing a lock of green hair away from her eyes as she looks at me. "Let's wait for the tea first."

_You're a sadist. Totally a sadist. _I frown at her half-closed eyes. _She's definitely enjoying watching me squirm like this._

"Here's your tea!"

"Ah, thanks." Yuuka thanks the server, and I give a nod of gratitude as well. "I'll call again if there's something else."

"Understood. Please enjoy your tea."

I tap my finger on the table, not touching my drink. "So, can I hear the reason _now_?"

"Slrrrrrrrrrr..." She takes a long drink of tea.

I resist the urge to smack my forehead on the table.

"Aah~ this tea is delicious as always..." Yuuka lowers her cup to say, then lifts it up again to drink some more.

Fighting the increasing urge, I glance at the entrance. _Let's see, we're in a corner far from the entrance, and it's not a straight run... If I go for it, she'll be able to spark me, but I estimate a sixty percent chance of dodging if I manage to make the turn before she can aim her umbrella at me..._

I feel something latch around my legs. "Don't even try." Yuuka warns, her legs clamped around mine.

_This must be hell. Am I going to be punished for being a womanizer?_ "Are you coming on to me? Normally I don't engage in foot play." _Oh yay, now I'm SO gonna get sparked._

"Think what you want." Yet her legs remained clamped on me.

"Think... I think that you're a sadist." I've said it. Now how is she going to react?

"Not at all. I just... _love_ teasing others." Her smile reveals a flash of white teeth.

"Sadist." I accuse again. "That's a sadist no matter how you look at it."

"Now, now, don't occupy your mind with such irrelevant thoughts." Yuuka finally sets her cup down. "So, I hear you're quite the popular one?"

"Is that why you're rubbing your legs against mine?"

"Would you rather I do this instead?" She suggests, and I look down to see the point of her umbrella poking into my stomach from under the table.

"You know what, the legs are fine."

"Fufufu, I knew you'd see it that way." The umbrella withdraws back under the table. "Mind telling me how many girls you've been with now?" She continues on without waiting for a reply, "And let me make this clear, I won't permit you to leave until you've answered all my questions."

I lean back slightly in my seat and start thinking as her legs continue to rub up and down against mine. _Yuuka's a sadist, which means she likes to watch me squirm. Conclusion: if I want to get out of this quick, I just have to answer everything quickly._ "Sure, Yuukarin!"

Her legs stop moving. "Yuukarin?"

_Oh, how is this going to turn out? _"Sounds nice, doesn't it? Yuu~karin. Yuuka~rin! Yuukarin~"

Her eyebrow twitches, and the umbrella pokes me again. "Care to keep pushing your luck?" Yuuka asks with a wide smile.

"Erm, what was the question again?"

"How many girls have you been with so far?" Her legs resume their movement.

"Ten." I reply instantly.

"Ho~ And which one did you enjoy the most?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Whether you're talking in terms of pleasure or emotion." I counter.

"Fine. In terms of emotion?"

My reply is prompt. "Keine and Suika."

"You can't pick between them?"

I shake my head no.

"How about teasing? Who was the most fun to tease?"

"It's-" My mouth stops working when it hits me. _So THAT'S why. _"Eirin put you up to this, didn't she?" I demand.

The flower youkai gives me a look of innocence. "My, I don't know what you're talking about."

_You totally do! _I facepalm. "What did she offer you to do this, Kazami-san?"

Yuuka doesn't reply, but she smirks at me.

_Let's see, what did Akyuu's notes say about her? She's powerful, but I don't need to read it to know that. Oh yeah, she's more active around flowers. But there's no flowers around at this time of the year, so... I'm nothing more than a way to kill time?_

"Kazami-san..."

"Now, don't need to be so reserved, Ikuto. You have my permission to use my name."

_Only because you want to see me uncomfortable about using it. _"Okay, Yuuka, _re-_turning to the topic at hand..."

She twitches when I purposely pretend I'm going to use the nickname, but the poke doesn't come. Score one for me. Though there's no way I'm going to survive if I keep pushing her buttons, while she can push mine all she likes. Man, it sucks not being able to do a thing.

_Ikuto, where are you?_ My eyes widen when I hear Suika's voice in my head. _I thought you said you were coming back._

So Suika can connect to me too? That's incredible... Wait, this is my chance! _I got ambushed. By Yuuka Kazami. Currently being interrogated._

The flower youkai picks that moment to butt in."Excuse me, weren't you going to tell me more about the girls you've been with?"

"The fact that I care deeply for them? I think you should know that already." _Not so much for Alice though. _

Suika's voice interrupts my thoughts. _I'm on my way. Where are you?_

_Inside some youkai-run restaurant. Yuuka seems to be a regular customer here._

_Yuuka? Since when did you start referring to her by her first name? _Suika demands, coming across as a bit jealous.

_Since I found out that she will threaten to Master Spark me if I don't do what she wants. _"Sorry, what was that again?"

"I said," Yuuka repeats impatiently, "Are you going to add more girls to this harem of yours?"

I blink, surprised to hear her ask that so bluntly. _Or maybe she's doing that on purpose to make me feel uncomfortable. _"I don't know... it's a possibility." Even I don't believe my own words. _I really can't take Keine for granted any more than I already have._

Suddenly, she pulls her legs back. "I see. Well, that's all I wanted to hear. I'll be leaving now."

I gape at her. "What?"

Yuuka drains her cup and sets it down with a light clack. "Here's the money for my share of the tea," She puts down a few coins. "It's rather cheap, so you don't mind paying for your half, do you?"

"Wait wait wait, you grab me on my way home, drag me here, ask a few simple questions, and that's it?"

"You don't expect me to sleep with you for that, do you?" She asks with a dangerous smile.

I snort in spite of myself. "As if. What's the point of doing all this?"

"Now, why would I tell you that?" With a tinkling laugh, Yuuka walks out of the restaurant, leaving me sitting there in disbelief.

_Just what did she do all this for? I doubt I'll ever know, but something tells me I'm going to see her again, and it won't turn out well._

* * *

><p>"Man, I never expected you to add another girl at this time! You never fail to surprise me, you know that?" Boss tells me as he wipes the counter, drawing glances and snickers from the other patrons in the store.<p>

It's evening already, and I'm nearly due back at home for dinner with Keine and Suika, who graciously invited herself along. _Well, it's a start to getting them to get along with each other as number one and number two. _But until that time, I was doing a few side jobs like deliveries and guiding people to and fro from Eientei. _Being in debt~ is such a sucky thing~ I don't wanna keep~ owing people things~ Yep, I'm tired. My brain just came up with a lame song. _I really threw myself into work for the past few hours in an attempt to take my mind off things.

"I have nothing to say..." Seriously, what can I say? I rather let other people draw their own conclusions.

"But I bet she's really wild under the covers, right?" Boss asks conspiratorially.

"I think she'd kill me if I tell you. I'd rather stay alive, thank you." I glance at the oni glugging next to me.

"Ohh, that means she is, huh?"

I recall how far we went last night, with Suika doing her best to milk all she could out of me, and shiver involuntarily. _I thought I was gonna die at one point._

"You're grinning. It's a bit creepy."

"Huh?" I touch my mouth. "Oops." _Stupid face, don't show what I'm thinking._

"Guess it must have been really good then."

"Of course it was!" Suika interrupts. "How could an oni be anything less?"

I facepalm. "Thanks, Suika..."

"Ohhh? Hey missy, mind telling me more?" Boss leans towards Suika, who's grinning widely.

"GYAAA!" I quickly cover Suika's mouth before she can say anything, and drag her out of there. "We're going home right now!"

"Don't forget to pay later!" I hear him holler after me as we leave amid a storm of laughter.

"Hey~ Ikuto~ Why so shy, huh~?" My oni lover teases as I pull her along.

"Because it's embarrassing, that's why!"

"Nyahaha! Bu~t..." Suika trails off, looking at me expectantly.

I sigh, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, I still love you. You little, mischievous drunkard."

She grabs my arm and snuggles up against my side, laughing to herself quietly. _And I love you too, big ol' buddy._

Looks like she's gotten the hang of using the mental connection to chat. "Come on, let's go eat Keine's cooking, shall we?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

><p>(1) A Japanese-to-English translation of 'oni' can be taken as 'demon'<p>

Two weeks... I suppose this would be the end of an arc... To be honest, this is a chapter that I had difficulty coming up material for; I was totally being random in it, with none of my usual 'good working ideas' to develop and shape the story around.

Finally introduced Yuuka. Ikuto just got retaliation from Eirin, leaving him totally confused. I can totally imagine Yuuka going around in the winter, interacting with others when her flowers aren't in bloom, and then she talks to Eirin, who shoots her at Ikuto. According to her profile, Yuuka just loves to tease people... and who better to send the guy off-balance?

Festival Horn sounds like a funny name, but it still fits in my opinion. It's like the starting signal of a large, boisterous party, gathering up others for a huge bash. Similarly, Suika and Ikuto are closely bonded over their love of fun, so the abilities it grants him is vastly similar to Suika's: strength and endurance, gathering materials and density increasing. But of course, since it's about bringing things together, it can't do the opposite. That's still not all there is to its power though; the closeness of their bond is on par with Keine's.

I left a small hint about the effect of completing the chain at the start, but the effects will be revealed over the course of many chapters. But not every Keyblade is going to get a boost though. And it's not the actual effect of completing the chain.

But let's just get on with the story! I have something fun planned. But not for a while... school sucks.


	35. Chapter 34: Busy, Busy, Preparations

"You sure you're fine with doing this instead of going on a date?" I ask Reisen, who's lying down next to me.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." She replies, a soft pop punctuating the end of her sentence, and a bamboo tube falls down in the distance.

It's been three days since the party at Reimu's, and Reisen suggested doing this as I was carrying her back. That's why we're lying on the tatami mats and sniping bamboo tubes off a bench among the trees a long distance away, with me using Wavebreaker and Reisen using a customized rifle.

"Still, why suggest sniping of all things?" I squint to focus on the next one. _Shoot. Feels like I'm cheating a bit since Wavebreaker's bullets can curve a little._

"Nice shot." She comments approvingly, "It's a way for me to relax sometimes."

"Oh." I push myself up with my elbows and flex my weapon wrist. "I can understand what you mean."

"Is your wrist alright?" Reisen asks.

"Just a bit stiff. It's not easy using this Keyblade as a gun." I make a face. "Though it can't really be called a 'blade' in the first place..."

"..." Reisen props herself up, looking over at me.

"Reisen?" I notice her staring at Wavebreaker.

"It seems..." Her eyes narrow slightly. "Mind handing that over for a minute?"

"Sure..." I have no idea what she wants it for, but it can't be anything bad.

Reisen examines the weapon, then grabs the shaft and gives it a yank. There's a sound of a click, and the entire shaft comes off, causing my jaw to drop when I realize what just happened to it.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL?" I splutter.

"Shh! I've got this." She scolds me, picking up the shaft and fixing it to the side of the original key's head at one of the points of the hexagon, twisting it in with another click.

As I watch, she grabs the square bit and pulls, sliding it upwards along the shaft until it's near what was formerly the hilt, then twists it so that it swivels on some unseen axis until it's perpendicular to the gray length. Next, Reisen turns the thing around, and presses down on the bulb at the end.

_What the heck is going on here? This NEVER happened before. _I wonder to myself as I watch the bulb sink down into the shaft, and a short portion of the end splits into two equal halves, opening up and sliding back slightly. _That kind of looks like a railgun. Woah, is this some upgrade? Some effect of completing the chain?_

Reisen pauses, looking over the weapon one more time. In the end, she grabs the keychain and tugs hard. Instantly, the material on both sides of the handle start to swell outwards, forming a rifle butt and makeshift grip for me to hold the weapon with my free hand. She gives it another once-over, then nods and passes it back to me.

"There, that should do it."

"Ho...how the hell did you _do _that?" I demand incredulously.

"I thought it resembled one of the weapons I handled back on the Moon, and I just did what felt right." Reisen points at the keychain, which had changed from a flat disc to an oddly deformed ball. "Beginners put that on their eye to help them aim. I learned to do without it on my first day."

_What the hell... I'm finding it damn hard to believe this. _"O...okay... I guess I'll try..."

Despite looking more like a toy rifle than an actual weapon, the moment I brace the butt against my shoulder and take aim, I know that it's much more convenient compared to the original form; it doesn't tax my wrist, the enabled use of my other hand to support the weapon makes it easier on my arm, and then there's the targeting system. Once again, I had to admit that the level of the Lunarians' technology was beyond impressive; the part that was the bit had become some sort of holographic display, and the 'ball' that I put on my eye made it seem as though I was playing one of the first-person shooters where I could actually _see_ where I was aiming with an infrared scope.

_Responds to my mental commands... wow, it actually captured the form of the tube I'm aiming for. _I examine the display in the small screen. _Adjusting power levels... let's try maximum penetration power... Wait, there's no trigger... how do I... oh, of course, just have to think 'shoot-_

The futuristic rifle hums slightly, and a thin red beam lances out with minimal recoil, tearing through the tube without even rocking it.

"Careful! You could have killed someone with that!" Reisen pushes down on the weapon, making me look at her angry face. "What were you thinking! Never fire at full power unless you mean to kill!"

"S...sorry." I apologize. _Whoops... give a kid a weapon and he'll see what he can do with it..._ "I won't do it again."

She sighs. "I know you won't. Alright, let's end things here for today." She turns back to her rifle and starts dismantling it.

I try to revert the new Wavebreaker to another Keyblade form, but it doesn't respond. After a few minutes of trying to force it, I give up and go through the reverse process of converting it back to its Keyblade version; pulling the chain so the bloated parts deflate, returning the bit and the shaft to their respective original forms, then finally fixing the shaft back on top of the handle. Thankfully, it responds like it always does when I try to change the Keyblade afterwards.

_Guess I'll just call it Wavebreaker Form Two. Still... a rifle. A super-powered rifle. Heh. _I grin to myself.

"Ikuto, you better not be thinking of playing around with it."

I straighten my expression. "Nope, not at all."

"Good. Let's go make lunch."

It appears that the second form trades the homing ability for more power and range. But before I can ponder about it some more, I recall my other reason for coming to Eientei. _Well, let's deal with lunch first._

"Eirin, I need to talk to you about something after lunch." I say firmly so she knows that I'm serious, and won't avoid me like she usually does. I still feel a bit betrayed that she set Yuuka on me like that.

"...understood. Let's talk in my pharmacy afterwards then."

The others look at me questioningly, but I just shake my head to indicate that it's a private matter... for now.

"So?" Eirin is seated at her usual place, with a table between us. "What is it you wish to talk to me about?"

I outline the idea I have in my mind, and ask for her help. "It's not something I can handle alone. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever tried planning an event by myself, so I've no idea what to do."

"I see... you'd like me- no, the rest of Eientei to help out as well?"

I nod. "Please. I'm not too sure how to tie everything together just yet."

"Okay, but how did you-

* * *

><p>-get that idea?" Byakuren asks.<p>

"To tell the truth, where I originally lived, snow _never_ falls, so I was thinking of trying to make it memorable." I tell the woman in the black and white dress sitting across from me.

We both glance out the window where a light cover of snow dusts the top of the scenery.

"I can see why..." The priestess of Myouren Temple says softly. "Okay," Her tone regains its crispness. "Why exactly did you come to me for help?"

_Guess I can tell her. _"I know what the humans say about you, that you're a holy woman who saves them from youkai. But I know the other half of the story."

Byakuren stiffens. "And...?"

"It's a commendable dream you have, Hijiri-san. I'm hoping that this will help improve human-youkai relations."

Thanks to my knowledge of the Touhou Universe, I know that Byakuren actually sides with the youkai over humans, but pretends to help the latter so she can afford to aid the former. It's a bit dirty of me to use that knowledge against her, but as long as I show her that my intentions are 'pure', it should be okay.

"Do you have any other intentions you're not telling me about?" She asks softly.

I count them off my fingers. "Help humans and youkai interact, have fun, make memories. That's it."

"Ichirin? Murasa? Shou?" Byakuren consults the other occupants of the room.

"I think it's a good idea, Nee-san." The woman with the white dress and the blue headdress that extended from the top of her head down to around her shoulders speaks as a pink cloud bobs up and down next to her. "Unzan says that this human seems believable, and that we can easily deal with him if he tries anything."

_Damn, that's a straightforward way of saying I'm weak. Well, _I admit to myself, _I AM weak compared to nearly everyone here._

The next to speak up is Murasa, the captain. "I'll support whatever decision you make, Hijiri."

"Shou?"

"Hijiri, are you sure that we can trust this human?" The tiger youkai asks, giving me a look tinged with suspicion.

"Shou, it's been one thousand years since I was sealed. Things have changed." Byakuren glances at me. "And Ikuto isn't the same as the humans back then, nor the humans here."

"Actually," I interrupt, "In my world, I'd say we're another few centuries ahead of Gensokyo. There's still some prejudice and such, but it's a much more accepting place."

That piece of news piques Byakuren's interest. "I'd like to hear more about that."

"Ahem." Shou coughs delicately.

"But I suppose that can wait until later." The priestess adds hastily. "Shou?"

"I think... it's alright to take the chance."

"Splendid! By the way," Byakuren looks around. "Where's Nazrin?"

I notice that Shou and the rest suddenly find parts of the room interesting enough to warrant their scrutiny, as well as the fact that while the tiger youkai has her spear with her, she's lacking the jeweled pagoda that she's supposed to have.

_I'd like to point it out, but maybe it's better not to..._

After a few seconds' pause, Byakuren turns back to me. "Well, I'll just ask her about it later. For now, I'd like to hear about what you already have planned, Ikuto."

"Okay, apart from the initial idea, I was thinking I could count on you to help out in-

* * *

><p>-getting some of your friends to join in?"<p>

"You can count on me!" Cirno thumps her chest proudly. "How about it, Letty?" She asks the person standing behind her.

I look at the winter youkai, Letty Whiterock. She's wearing a dress of blue and white and a white cap, but her gaze towards me is a gaze filled with icy coldness. She's not someone who treats humans nicely... I have to treat lightly around her, or I'm going to get frostbite. Already the temperature seems to drop a few degrees, forcing me to adjust my own internal temperature further.

"Who are you?" She ignores Cirno's question and focuses on me directly.

"I'm..." I think about how I should introduce myself. "Cirno's friend. My name's Ikuto."

"This human isn't like the others..." She comments.

_Once again, someone is commenting about my apparent weakness... _"Like anyone could be match the miko or the witch."

"But he's strong!" The fairy insists.

"Now you're making me feel embarrassed." I poke Cirno in the shoulder. "Stop that, will ya?"

"Okay, okay... come on, Letty! Let's do it! Aye'll show everyone that Aye'm the strongest!"

The winter youkai sighs. "Alright. I'm doing this because you're the one asking, Cirno."

"YAY!" Cirno's reaction is extremely predictable.

"But you know... just the two of you isn't enough. You got another one?"

Cirno crosses her arms and thinks, which is such a rare sight that I almost burst out laughing. "Hmmm..."

"What about that other fairy you mention sometimes?" Letty supplies.

Cirno immediately perks up. "Ah! Dai-chan!"

_Dai-chan? Oh, she must mean Daiyousei then. _I realize that they're referring to the fairy I saw Cirno in the company of before, though I've never actually got to meet her. _Maybe I should give it a try next time._

I nod. "Alright, so help me ask this Dai-chan of yours too."

"Got it!" With that, Cirno zooms away, leaving me alone with Letty, whom I quickly try to escape from.

But it's not meant to be. "Stop."

Wincing inside, I turn to face her. "Yes?" I ask, cautious.

"I appear only in the winter, unlike my friend Cirno who's present all year round." She steps closer. "Which is why I thank you for creating this chance for us to truly enjoy winter."

"Y-You're welcome." _Well, maybe she's not so bad after all._

"However," Letty continues, "I still do not like your kind. I may tolerate it, but do not try my patience." She warns.

_I take that back._ "Understood. I'll be going then. I'll let you know when it's time."

"Alright."

Just as I'm walking away, someone else calls out to me.

"Hold it right there!"

I hear Letty sigh as I turn in the direction of the voice. For some reason, I'm not surprised to see the Three Mischievous Fairies there; they're a meddling bunch, after all.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know." I tell them mildly. "And I thought I heard that you moved to somewhere behind Hakurei Shrine?"

"But we wouldn't get to hear anything interesting if we didn't!" Sunny Milk retorts.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Luna Child agrees with her prankster buddy. "And we can go anywhere we want, so there!"

"So?" I look at the smart one of the bunch, the one standing at the back of the group. "You want in too, I assume?"

She nods. "It sounds quite interesting."

"Okay." My reply seems to startle them. "What? It's not like I'm going to turn you fairies away. In fact, the more the better." _Though they're probably going to lose in the first round due to their lack of power._

"Is that really a good idea?" I hear Letty ask me softly.

I shrug. "I can always ask Reimu to banish them if they cause too much trouble. Alright," I look over the fairies. "I need you to answer a few questions so I know what else I have left to arrange."

"Sure!" They agree readily.

A few minutes later, just as I'm tying things up with them, Cirno comes flying back with that fairy I saw in her company before in tow. "Aye'm back, and Aye brought Dai-chan! Oh! You're here too, comrades!"

"She's joining too? Oh yeah, let's team up!" Sunny Milk pumps her fists. "We're sure to win if we have her on our side."

"Sunny, he said only teams of three." Star Sapphire reminds her friend.

"Ah... oh well, we'll just go it with our usual team then! Our combined powers won't lose!"

I look at Daiyousei, a green-haired fairy that's slightly smaller than Cirno, and wearing a blue dress. She seems a bit scared of me, so I crouch down to make myself look smaller. But she still flinches away, so I guess it's not really effective. _I've met her, but I doubt I'll get to know her right away._

"This is Dai-chan! She'll be on my team, and we'll be the STRONGEST!"

"Awawa... is it really okay, Cirno-chan?"

"Yeah! You just leave it to me and Letty! Right, Letty?" The ice fairy thumps her chest and looks at her winter friend.

"I'll do my best."

"Okay. Um, Letty, could you explain the rules to them and make sure they get it? I've got places to go."

One of the three fairies call after me as I take off back towards the village. "Don't worry! We know them! And thanks for letting-

* * *

><p>-me in on this!" Aya sets me down on the snow, and I sink nearly a foot into it.<p>

"Man, last night's snow was really heavy. I spent the whole morning shoveling snow off so many roofs." I complain, trudging through the snow towards the sound of running water.

I cheated by using Wire Performance to cut up the packed snow into sections and weaving a giant shovel with the wires, but I don't mention that. Besides, a lot of people were only too happy to avoid going out in this cold weather.

"Too bad snow in winter isn't anything special. Now, snow in spring... that's something worth writing about."

I give up and pull out Blaze Revive, sending a whip of flame ahead to clear a path for me to walk. "I heard about that one. Wasn't Reimu the one who resolved that incident?"

"Who knows...? I haven't found definitive proof that she solved the problem." Aya's wings flap slowly as she floats ahead of me lazily. "She should be around here..."

Here is referring to the medium-sized river we're at. It's frozen slightly where the flow is slow, but most of it is still running strongly. I look around, but I don't see any sign that someone is living here. _But then again, Akyuu's notes said that they're VERY good at staying hidden._

"Okay." I dig into my pack and bring out the Game Cube I got from Rinnosuke. "Kawashiro-san~! Kawashiro-san~!" I start calling out.

There's a long period of silence, then Aya starts giggling. I give her a dirty look as another cold wind blows through the place. _Time to change tactics._ I hold up the game console and look around once more. _Potential for feeling stupid: EXTREMELY HIGH._

"Woah, what's this amazingly complex item here! I wonder just how it works!" I speak loudly, feeling quite foolish as Aya smothers more laughter. "Pressing this button makes a part of it pop open! Oh, what's this? Screws! But I don't have a screwdriver... if only some kind soul would-"

"Can I see that?" A voice I haven't heard for a few weeks calls out to me from behind.

_The bait has been taken. _I turn around to see... nothing. Or at least nothing in the visible spectrum. _Yep, I can feel her there with my thread radar. That's one heck of an optical camouflage._ Just then, something else happens.

Blaze Revive vibrates in my grip, then suddenly switches out for Wavebreaker. Before I can do anything, an odd feeling washes over me, and Nitori flickers into view, green cap and backpack and all.

"Huh? Wh-what happened?" She looks down at herself. "How did my camouflage fail?"

_Woah, so Wavebreaker can do that? Or is this another upgrade-related matter? _Well, since I've never met Nitori before, I wouldn't know about that. _Let's just shelve it aside for now._ "Oh, there you are." I say, making her flinch.

"Hiya, Nitori! This is Ikuto, the guy I've been writing about in my newspaper." Aya introduces me to the kappa.

"We've met." I speak for Nitori, who seems so nervous she can't talk.

"Eh? You two did? When?"

"That's not the point here." I turn back to Nitori, casually tossing the Game Cube from hand to hand, lifting and lowering it. "I'd like to ask for your help in something, Kawashiro-san."

"Of course. How can I be of assistance?" She asks, her eyes not on my face, but following the path of the item.

I signal Aya, who pulls out a list and hands it over. Nitori gives the Game Cube one last look of longing before turning her attention to the piece of paper in front of her. While waiting for her to read through it, I increase my internal temperature a bit more to deal with the cold. After what feels like an eternity, Nitori looks back at me.

"Sure, I can provide these items. But what do you need them for?"

"Yeah, about that, I'm planning this event..." I explain it to her. "It's a bit much to ask, but I really could use your help." So saying, I bow deeply to her.

"Ahh, please lift up your head!" Nitori is flustered by my action. "Okay, okay, I'll help! Just raise your head!"

"Thank you, Kawashiro-san!"

"Okay, now that we're done here, how about we-

* * *

><p>-have something to drink?" Boss offers me.<p>

"Nothing alcoholic." I reply, not looking up from the papers in front of me. "I got a lot of stuff to handle right now."

"Got it. Have some juice."

"Mm, thanks." I drain half the cup and put it down. "Hm, the preparations of the food stores are ready, equipment are prepared, sponsors and stuff... All that's left is..."

"Teams and location?"

"I don't really want to hold it at Hakurei Shrine, since it's going to be tough to go up all those steps in the snow. But then again there's not many other places which are big enough and safe enough for the audience."

"How about the Scarlet Devil Mansion?" Boss suggests.

"I doubt anyone would go if it were to be held there." I reply instantly. "That little sister is too dangerous to be around..." _I'm reconsidering my decision to stay there in the future..._

"Then there's no choice but the shrine."

"Yeah... guess so. Alright then, as for the teams..."

Boss picks up one of the pages I'm using to keep track, and whistles. "You've got quite a list already."

"And there are still more coming in..." I moan, feeling the headache coming. "If I'd known how much trouble it was to plan something like this, I doubt I would have done it."

"Then why don't you just stop?"

"Because I made my mind up to see this through already." I tug the paper from his grip start copying down names onto a fresh sheet of paper.

"I'm sure it'll turn out to be a success. After all, you're putting so much work into it."

"Yeah, thanks." I sigh again. "There's nearly sixty-four teams already... if this rate holds, I'm going to have to put some seeded teams in order to keep things fair."

"Business is slow today, so how about I give you a hand?" Boss offers, putting away the dishcloth.

"You will? Thanks, man." I push over a stack of papers. "Recheck this and tell me what you think."

We continue to exchange and discuss ideas, finding out areas to improve or alter. Surprisingly, most of my initial ideas don't get rejected, though they get changed a little because Boss said they were 'a bit too complicated'. I have to remember to keep things simple.

"Whew... looks like that's enough for today. At this rate I'm going to wake Keine up by talking about this stuff in my sleep."

"You sleep together? I thought you'd be keeping each other up awake all night-" Boss says innocently.

I snort. "I'm not going to elaborate on that."

"Haha, well, good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. Although with my luck, there's going to be more and more problems on the way."

"Oh come on, don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure you got a lot of helpers, right?"

"You never know..." I mutter darkly, "Sometimes the help can be the-

* * *

><p><em>-worst thing I can possibly imagine. <em>I glance next to me at the deceptively innocent smile. "I'm surprised you want to help out, Kazami-san."

"You have my permission to call me by my first name, Ikuto." Yuuka reminds.

"But you know..."

_Soft... hard... danger... danger... DANGER..._

"Is there really a need for you to cling so close to me?" I ask shrilly.

"Oh my... but if we don't, you'll get snow on you, won't you~?"

_Oh my god... for some reason I'm reminded of Yuyuko at her most aggravating._ The open umbrella above me feels like a mousetrap that is above to snap shut. _So this is how everyone she 'persuaded' to work faster feels like?_

"A bit of snow doesn't hurt. So please let go?" I plead.

If anything, her hold on my arm tightens. "We're nearly at the next destination, so isn't it fine to just stay like this a bit more?"

"I have Keine and Suika already!"

"Are you saying that I don't have any womanly charm?" This time I feel a bit of pain in my arm.

_Imminent landmine! Imminent landmine! _"Th-th-that's not what I'm implying! It's just, it's just-! It's not exactly good for us to be like this when I already have Keine and Suika!"

She laughs amusedly and pulls away. We're at our next destination, which happens to be her place in the center of a snow-covered field. That meant a super long walk from the village with her arm interlinked with mine all the way.

_Sometimes I wonder if she actually likes me or is just screwing with me. I'm eighty-five percent sure that it's the latter._ "So who is it you'd like me to meet?" I ask as we step out of the snow.

"This girl." Yuuka opens the door to a room.

"MMM!"

I stare at the scene in front of me. Tenshi is tied up and gagged, thrashing around on the floor, looking at me for help. The first thought that goes through my head on seeing that is: _How the heck did Yuuka do that to Tenshi? _And the second is: _Where'd she get the ropes strong enough to hold a Celestial?_

"Um... are you serious? What exactly is going on here?"

"MMMM! MMMPH!"

"This little girl here wanted to join your game too, so I had her wait while I brought you here." Yuuka steps over to Tenshi and presses one foot down on the Celestial's side. "Did you enjoy waiting, little girl?"

"MM! MMMPH!"

"Uhh... just out of curiosity... how long did you leave her here?"

"Hmm... just before I met up with you, I think?"

"That's like nearly four hours ago!"

"Oh, is it? I hadn't really noticed..."

As Yuuka continues to step lightly all over on Tenshi's body, I start edging backwards. I was clearly right... Yuuka didn't like me... she just derived sadistic pleasure from seeing me uncomfortable. _Should I run? She'll probably be pissed... but there's the small chance she won't do anything drastic if I stay..._

"Okay, here you go." Yuuka pulls off Tenshi's gag.

"PUHAA! LET ME GO! LET ME GO RIGHT NOW, YOU CRAZY WOMAN!"

"My... you're a guest in someone's house. Shouldn't you be more polite?" The flower youkai chides.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TIED ME UP AND LEFT ME HERE!"

"Ikuto, could you help me calm her down while I go prepare some tea? _Please?_"

The way Yuuka asks that without even looking at me makes me decide not to run after all. Certainly, she DID ask nicely... And she DID help me out earlier, even if she DID use some methods that I might not be too comfortable with...

After a discussion with Tenshi, we both agree not to try to escape, especially since Yuuka managed to beat down Tenshi physically. Just how _strong_ is she? Could someone like Reimu take her on without spell card rules? But it also opens up a possibility I want to consider in the future...

"So I hear you want to join?"

Tenshi nods. "The thing you're planning, it sounds like fun."

"Out of curiosity... who did you hear this from?" I ask, already having my suspicions.

"That tengu, of course."

_Guessed as much. Oh well, I can think of a way Tenshi can be useful. _"So, who are you joining with?"

"Me of course." Yuuka announces, coming into the room with a tray.

Tenshi immediately hops back, far away from Yuuka. "Why do I have to team up with you?" She demands.

"Because I say so, of course." Yuuka hands me a cup.

"So... who's the third then?" I ask. "It's meant to be in teams of three."

"Should I get Iku?" Tenshi suggests.

"Forget it. I asked her before. She's not the sort to participate in this sort of thing."

"I have another person in mind. Though she might not be persuaded to join so easily..." Yuuk sits down, and me and Tenshi inch away slightly.

"Who?" Despite our retreat, we can't resist asking.

"That's a secret..." Yuuka's tone makes it clear she doesn't intend to say.

"I can't really add the team to the list if I don't have the name of all the members..." I reply, troubled.

"Well, then why don't you just-

* * *

><p>-ask Milady herself?" Sakuya knocks on the door she has led me to. "Milady, Ikuto is here to talk to you."<p>

"Come in."

The maid nods to me and opens the door, admitting me into the room where her mistress is waiting. The Scarlet Devil is seated on a throne, resting her chin on one hand as she gazes at me. Behind me, the door closes shut, sealing me in place with a vampire whose plan nearly ended my life weeks ago.

"So you came with a request for me?"

"Yes. It's about borrowing your-"

"Rejected."

_For some reason I'm reminded of being head-shot the moment I stick my head around the corner in Counterstrike. _"But I didn't even finish my question."

"Vampires are meant to be feared. Holding your event on my land would go against that." Remilia smirks. "But I'm really impressed that you have the guts to think of coming to me like this."

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just ask someone else for a place then." I turn to leave.

"Wait. Is that all you came to do?"

"Oh, you wish to join?" I ask, grinning. "It might be tough for you, since it's going to be during the day."

Remilia chuckles. "But it wouldn't be right if I'm not a part of it, would it?"

"I suppose not. So who will you send as your representatives?"

"Sakuya, Meiling, and..." She pauses. "Koakuma."

"Hmm..." I pull out the notepad I've been using to keep track of things. "Well, you obviously can't send out Flandre, and I doubt Patchy would want to venture outside, so that choice isn't exactly surprising. But you sure you don't need your gate guard?"

She waves a dismissive hand. "I'll just have some fairy maids patrol the grounds instead."

"And also," I continue, writing down the names, "What's the point of sending them if you're not going to be there?"

"Oh, I'll be there." Remilia promises.

"Mm, okay then. Here, this is a set of instructions I made, including the list of prizes to be won." I walk forward and pass her a sheet of paper.

The vampire glances at it and hands it back. "You really put a lot of thought into that, didn't you?"

I shrug. "I did my best. You want me to hand that to Sakuya?"

"Do that. And that reminds me, I haven't thanked you yet for playing with Flan, have I?"

"You mean earlier? Or are you talking about back then?" We both know what I'm referring to by the latter.

"Earlier. Sakuya informed me that you were building snowmen with her." Remilia takes her chin off her hand. "You do know you were taking quite a huge risk by doing that."

I nod. _She's talking about me bringing Flandre out._ "That's why I chose to do it near Meiling."

She chuckles. "And yet you still played a prank on my gate guard."

The snowmen I made with Flan while under Meiling's supervision? There were four of them, and I purposely built them in an arrangement that resembled a bunch of them sneaking through the gate. Due to Flan being so enthusiastic, Meiling didn't notice until Sakuya pointed it out, and by then I was already running for the mansion. I'm so going to get it on my way out, but it's probably worth it.

_I think I'll ask Flan if she's interested in blowing them up. Better to get her to let off steam at them instead of me._ "It didn't really hurt anyone, but I'll apologize to her later. She's got a..." _Better not say crappy. _"-tough job already."

"You'd better. Is there anything else you want?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I better get going, there's still a lot left to do."

"I hope you will be able to make this event of yours into a success."

_Woah... Did I just get a seal of approval? _"That was my plan. After all, I'm already putting so much effort into-

* * *

><p>-asking for your permission to hold it here!" I finish loudly, bowing down low to Reimu.<p>

The shrine maiden sighs. "You _really_ couldn't find anywhere else?" She asks.

Straightening up, I start counting off my fingers. "Remilia said no, I don't dare to ask Yuuka, and there's no other big place that's safe enough nearby."

"Oh, alright. When are you holding it?"

"Yes! Thank you, Reimu!" I bow a few times to her. "Um, as for when, it'll probably be within the next three days."

"That's rather fast."

"I've already put a lot of work into the preparations, so we're can be ready to go as soon as I give the signal to do so."

"Understood. Out of curiosity, how long have you been planning this?"

"About three weeks already. What about you? Have you been training for this?"

"In this weather? No way. It's too cold to stay outdoors for long." Reimu squirms under the kotatsu (1). "It's much nicer to just stay like this."

I eye her detached sleeves and bare shoulders. "Even though you volunteered to join... I hear your other two team members have been practicing with each other."

"They can do what they want. I'm going to stay right here until the event itself."

I start to say something, but stop when I shiver involuntarily. "Can I get in too?"

"Feel free."

I slip my legs under the blanket cover and onto the warm floor beneath the table, turning off my meager temperature control as I do. Just as Reimu shows, being inside is REALLY comfortable. Apparently you're supposed to wear a thick coat, putting the bottom underneath the blanket, and the hot air will flow out and fill the coat, warming you up.

_But I don't have a coat... but at least my feet are warm. Having cold feet is uncomfortable..._

Me and Reimu both emit a sigh of contentment at the same time. "This is bliss..." Reimu voices our thoughts.

"Yeah..."

"Don't want to go out in the cold unless necessary..." She murmurs sleepily.

"But you're going to have to go out on the day of the event itself, right?"

"I'll deal with that when the time comes. Haa..." Reimu rests her head on the table and reaches out for the snacks on it.

"Psych!" I snatch away the one she was aiming for and pop it into my mouth.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get for letting the cold get the better of you." I tell her triumphantly.

Reimu glares at me. "Uuuu... you better not try that again, or you're going to regret it." She warns.

"Got it~"

"Pardon the intrusion -ze~" The door slams open, and both of us turn to glare at the intruder.

"SHUT THE DAMN DOOR!" We both yell.

"Woah woah woah! Got it, I got it already -ze!" Marisa steps into the room and closes the door behind her, putting her hat aside before joining us at the kotatsu. "Haa... This feels nice~"

"So how much practice did you get in?" I mumble, resting my head back down on the warm wood.

Marisa imitates me and Reimu. "My hands are numb already..."

"Maybe I should have asked the kappas if they could have made special gloves for this sort of thing."

"Nah, I'll just come up with a spell to protect them." She gives me a cautious look. "That's not against the rules, is it?"

I shake my head slightly. "Nah..."

"Oh good." I notice a mischievous glint in her eyes, but it's too late.

"GYAH!" I jerk my foot up and bang it against the bottom of the table. "OW!"

"HAHAHAHAAA! Take my cold feet attack -ze!"

"Don't do that! It feels awful, dammit!" I glare at her.

"I'm just sharing how I feel with you." Marisa defends herself with a bare-faced lie.

"Don't make me show you what a suplex is." I threaten, settling myself back down.

The witch snickers, but she doesn't push any further. "But the wind's starting to pick up, Ikuto, so you better go back quick."

"I don't suppose you could give me a ride when you leave?" I ask hopefully.

Marisa shivers. "No way -ze. Not when it's this cold out."

"Wait, are you planning to stay over here, Marisa?" Reimu demands.

"Ehehe... I did think about doing so..."

"No, you go home right now."

"Ehh~ Why can't I stay?"

As they start to argue, I steel myself and exit the kotatsu. Time to go home to a warm bed and a warm Keine... "Alright, I'm leaving now."

"Bye! Let me know when you decide when to hold the event, I-

* * *

><p><em>-am pleased that you have come up with an arrangement that is favorable for my busy schedule." The deceptively young-looking girl speaks to me.<em>

_"I did ask you about it back then, and planned around it. It's all about coming up with something that satisfies the busiest." I reply._

_Shikieiki nods approvingly. "That's good then."_

_"By the way, is there anything you would like to say about the rules I have come up with?" I indicate the paper in front of her, hand-delivered by an obliging oarfish._

_Of course she has read it already... I might be the chief planner of everything, but the boss is none other than Shikieiki herself. She's the one who approved the 'proposal' I submitted, just like a boss._

_"There isn't. You have done well in setting everything up."_

_"Thank you. So what time should I expect you at Hakurei Shrine?"_

_"About two hours past dawn." Shikieiki pushes the paper back over to me. "Now, I would like to discuss a different matter..."_

_I wince. _Here it comes._ "And that is...?"_

_"Would you be so kind as to explain how this house was built?" The judge enquires._

_"Umm... I heard Suika the oni helped." _

_Shikieiki purses her lips. "I can certainly understand how it can be built so quickly with that oni's help. But..." Her eyes narrows at me. "I find it hard to believe that the drunkard would be willing to contribute so much..."_

Damn. She totally knows. _"Well, I simply made a request of her..." I try to downplay it even more._

_The intensity of her stares increases, and I find myself fidgeting uncomfortably. Behind her boss, Komachi gives me a look that says 'Sorry!', clearly abandoning me to one of Shikieiki's notorious lectures. Well, I'm not going to break down here. My willpower isn't going to lose so-_

_"Ghhk!" I grunt suddenly, feeling something invade my mind. _What the-! What's... shit! Huh? Can't... think? Is this... Shikieiki... GET. OUT. OF. MY. MIND!

_She suddenly flinches back. "That... was surprising." Shikieiki says in a shocked tone._

_"Ooh~" Komachi lets out a sound of amazement._

_"Haa... Haa... what the... heck did you... do?" I grunt, clutching my head._

_"Do you know how shinigamis take those who are meant to die but refuse to go willingly?" She asks, then goes on without waiting for a reply. "They attack the deceased's mind, forcing him or her to relive part of or all of his or her life in order to convince him or her to come willingly. But then..."_

_I start tuning her out right about then. I can pretty much understand what she's trying to tell me; shinigamis, and by extension Yamas, have the ability to conduct a rough form of psychic assault, and that was what she did to me in order to find out just what I was hiding from her, and somehow I managed to resist it a little. _Hmm, for some reason I suddenly recalled the shinigamis from that manga series... what was the name again... oh right, Black Butler (2)_. But really, she's taking so long to explain such a simple thing. If this was during my school class, I'd probably fall asleep right here._

_"Are you listening to me?" Shikieiki asks sharply, jarring me out of my daze._

_I nod furiously. "Yes, of course!"_

_As the Yama resumes her lecture, pointing out the 'crime' of doing work only to slack off in future, I catch sight of Komachi giving me a sympathetic look. _Wait, why am I suffering this? This was supposed to be a meeting to notify Shikieiki of the event date, how did it turn into a lecture session?

_"Also, if you think of other people in impolite terms _(3)_, that means you are likely to act rudely towards them even if you don't intend to."_

_I wince again. _That's a habit that I developed with my knowledge of the Touhou universe, and with Yukari's translation tweak... Good thing it doesn't seem like she's picked up on that. _"Sorry. I'll _try_ to change that."_

_"Then there's also the matter of..." Shikieiki suddenly reddens. "...what you've been doing here. With Komachi."_

SOMEBODY KILL ME NOW! _I facepalm really hard. _This is like... no, it's WORSE than having the mother of your sex friend find out about your exploits. _"I have nothing to say in my defence." I reply mechanically, glancing at a pale Komachi._

_I have a feeling that if I fell asleep I would get a whacking from her punishment board, so I did my best to stay awake. It seemed like an eternity of line after line coming out from Shikieiki's mouth, going in through one ear and out the other. Some of them might have stuck in my mind, but the majority of it just eludes me. At times, she would turn to Komachi and give me a brief respite, but since I'm her main target, they come rarely. But eventually it comes... the tweak that signals my release from this hell._

_"Oh, looks like it's time for me to go." I say with evident relief._

_"I'm not finished yet! Don't you dare-_

* * *

><p>-leave that mess on the floor!" Keine scolds me.<p>

I look down at the small pile of wood shavings beneath me. "Oops, sorry. I forgot to put down something to cover the floor. I'll go get the-"

"Here." A broom and dustpan is thrust in front of me.

"Sorry." I apologize again as I set my carving aside to start clearing the mess I've made. "Fuaaaa..." I yawn loudly.

My wife looks at me critically. "You should get some sleep. You have to be up early tomorrow, don't you?"

"Yeah..." I mumble, pushing the last of the shavings into the dustpan. "I'm just... nervous, I guess."

"Relax..." I feel Keine's arms wrap around my neck. "You worked hard on it. It'll go perfectly, I'm sure."

"Thanks, Keine..." I yawn again, then straighten up. "I'll just go get rid of this, okay?"

She pulls away from me, resting one hand on my back for a moment. "Don't take too long, Ikuto. You need your sleep."

"Yes, dear." I turn around and kiss her on the cheek before stepping out of the room to dispose of the trash.

It's been slightly more than a month since I started planning and arranging this event, and tomorrow I will see the final result. To be honest, part of me isn't looking forward to it; I wasn't the type to take charge before, so I'm often questioning myself if I'm going about it the right way. But then again, maybe the lack of having someone else to push the work to is forcing me to be more confident in order to adapt.

When I reenter the living room, Keine is already gone, probably waiting in our bedroom. The carving I've been working on all this while is still rough, but by now it has taken enough of a shape for me to understand just what my subconscious had intended to create.

_I'm making a Nendroid. I would laugh, but I'm too tired to do so._ Yawning for the umpteenth time, I head for my futon, pausing only to give Keine another chaste kiss before letting sleep claim me quickly.

_Tomorrow..._

* * *

><p>(1) A kotatsu is a low wooden table covered by a blanket with another wooden top above it, and a heat source beneath. The warm air fills the space enclosed by the blanket.<p>

(2) Kuroshitsuji is the Japanese name.

(3) Some of you may have realized by now, but Ikuto thinks of the people he initially meets by their first name, while addressing them by their surname instead. This is due to the use of the first name being reserved for those who are close to each other.

Well, this chapter came rather fast. This is due to some parts of it originally belonging to the previous chapter, which I expanded to give some closure to the Suika part. As you might have realized, this chapter is entirely about the preparations for Ikuto's planned event. Well, it's not like I'm going to pull a sudden 'It's not what you think it is' this time round...

It's my usual random writing style, but just for once, I thought I'd like to pull off one of those 'linked scenes' things, like some TV shows, mangas and comics do.

Reisen's Keyblade is the first to reveal new abilities... A shooting form fits perfectly, wouldn't you say? It also paves the way for something I have in mind far down the story. Some of the others won't show anything new for a while yet though, but please look forward to them.

Yuuka is sadistic, but to me, it's in the sense that she enjoys making other people uncomfortable, not actively hurting them. Of course, certain characters who are harder to trouble or are just plain aggravating get a different sort of treatment from what Ikuto gets.

I've been taking quite a bit of information from the official Touhou universe (the manga for example) to explain some of the events that I used in this chapter, though I'm not too sure about the timeline and stuff.

Well, school still sucks, but please await the next chapter.


	36. Chapter 35: Great Winter Battles Part 1

**It's getting hard to write... have to... hang in there...**

* * *

><p>"In winter..." Sunny Milk says.<p>

"When it snows..." Luna Child continues.

"You got to have..." Star Sapphire adds.

"A SNOWBALL FIGHT!" All three chorus together.

I walk forward, mike in hand as the warmly dressed crowd applauds my introduction crew. The turnout is slightly more than I expected, but nothing beyond what I planned for. Well now, it's time to start.

"Welcome everybody!" I speak into the mike, letting the speakers I borrowed from Nitori transmit my voice around. "As you all know, I've been arranging this snowball fight tournament for anyone who wishes to compete, and it is TODAY!" I let the cheers settle down. "Okay, I'll be honest here. I'm not good at talking to a crowd, and I'm sure that the less time we spend out in the cold, the better. So let's get straight to business quickly, shall we?"

Most of the crowd nod approvingly.

"Right, first let me point out the stores around the sides. Hot food and drinks are being sold there. Thank you to the kappas for providing the heaters to keep them warm." I start clapping, and the crowd picks up on my cue. "Please be careful not to fall ill here."

"As you can see in the center of the ground before the shrine, there is a large rectangular area marked by some posts with talismans on them." I say as I step into the marked area. "This is where the matches will be held. As you can see," I bend down and scoop some snow, flinging it to smack into the border, "You will be protected from any stray shots. So please do not touch those posts."

I walk back to my initial place in front of the shrine. "Also, let's show some appreciation for our carpenters in providing chairs and tables." This time, the crowd doesn't need my prompting. "As well as some of the equipment we'll be using today. Now, I'll explain the rules."

Of course, having a plain snowball fight would be boring and tedious, especially since some of the participants can take over nine thousand snowball hits before they even stumble, so there's some rules involved to keep things fast. At the beginning of each match, a member from each of the two teams would play janken, and the winner would pick one of two things to do.

"As you can see near me, there is a box, and a wheel. The box contains wooden balls, numbered from one to nine." I reach into it and pull out a six. "This determines the maximum number of hits any participant can take during the match before being sent out."

The other team would do the opposite, which in this case involved spinning the wheel. This would give the secondary winning objective apart from wiping out the opposite team. There were rules such as capture the flag, target the leader, find the treasure, and build a complete snowman, plus a small red section which I passed off as really dangerous.

"Well, I'm sure it sounds complicated right now, so let's just skip the tedious explanations for now, shall we?" The crowd chuckles, and I hear a few of them call for me to hurry up. "Alright, let me introduce my commentators for this tournament. First we have the reporter for the Bunbunmaru, Aya Shameimaru!"

Aya pops out from behind me, holding her own mike. "Hihi~! Nice to be here!"

"Hey..."

"What?"

"Aren't you cold? You're just wearing a skirt." Some of the crowd titter at this.

"Ayaya~ I'm a tengu, we fly at high speeds, so we're used to being cold around there."

_That sounds like it has a naughty implication. _"But not around your neck, apparently." I observe, seeing the thick scarf she's wearing. I hear a bit of laughter.

"It's really warm~"

"Okay, okay... next is the priestess of Myouren Temple, Byakuren Hijiri!"

"Good morning to you all!" Byakuren joins me with a third mike. "I look forward to have an enjoyable time with everyone else."

"So, Hijiri-san, who are you supporting to win?"

"My... I haven't really considered about it, but I would like the team from Myouren Temple to take the victory."

"No harm in that of course. Right, Aya-san?"

"Yes! It's natural to support those who are close to you!"

"But of course," Byakuren continues, "I would be satisfied as long as every participant plays fairly and equally, with no hard feelings afterwards."

"And there you have it. Players, please do your best, but keep in mind that this is a game! Now, did I forget anything?" I turn to Aya.

"Why are you asking me?" Aya asks confusedly.

"Well, I thought you might know, since you seem to have an unhealthy amount of knowledge of things."

"That's rude! I'm just a seeker of truth!"

"Okay, that means there isn't. So without further ado, let's take our seats and begin! Hijiri-san, Aya, please." I extend my hand to the long table nearby with mike stands on it.

As we take our seats and slot the mikes into their respective stands, Suika pounds out a drumroll on the nearby drum, signaling the start of the snowball fight tournament and drawing loud applause from the audience seated around the arena.

"First up, we have the team Miko Doll Spark, headed by none other than the Hakurei shrine maiden, Hakurei Reimu!"

"Hey! Why is it Miko Doll Spark, why not Spark Miko Doll?"

"Because your team leader submitted that name!" I retort as the crowd laughs. "And it's too late to change it already. Besides, it sounds better that way! Now get in there!"

"Ayayaya~" But despite her exclamation, Aya is grinning as well.

As Byakuren introduces the other team consisting of youkai, I signal Komachi at the corner of the shrine. She nods and moves around to the back, and I gesture for the team leaders to come forward. After a quick round of janken, Reimu wins and picks the wheel. The painted wood swirls, making a clicking noise as the pointer hits the thin rods around the edges, before finally coming to a stop on 'Team Leader'. The opposing team leader, a male youkai, rummages through the box and takes out a ball marked with the number one.

"And it's been decided! One hit and you're out! The other winning objective is to take out the team leader!"

"That means the team leaders should stay at the back, shouldn't they?" Byakuren enquires.

"Indeed! But a stray shot may spell an unlucky defeat for the team also..."

"This looks like it'll be interesting," Aya comments to my right, "Will they play defensively or go on an all-out attack?"

"Now, before we begin, I would like to introduce the referee for this tournament! All you assembled people out there, please don't worry. She has promised to focus on the matches only today. Presenting... the great Yama, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu!"

There are a few audible mutters and whispers of amazement as Shikieiki walks out onto the field and takes her seat at the table just outside the border, opposite from me. Of course, no matter what I might say, there are some things you just can't help. All the youkai around know of Shikieiki's inclination to lecture others, which is why they often hide whenever they know she's around.

"Thank you, Ikuto." She says simply into her own mike in front of her. "Now, before we begin the first match, I will explain the general rules that the organizer has forgotten to mention."

I facepalm. _Damn, so I DID forget something._

"All participants are forbidden to fly during their respective matches. This will ensure that things are kept fair. Also, participants are forbidden from using any special abilities they have to defend or attack. The only form of attacks allowed are with snowballs."

"Thank you, Great Yama." _Oh yeah... got too caught up in my role to remember to mention the rules. _"Alright then. Teams, take your positions!"

Reimu, Alice and Marisa make their way to one end of the arena while the other team go to the opposite end, both sides crouching down behind the snow barriers that were already constructed. As expected, their shoulders are moving, indicating that ammunition is being prepared.

"And... START!" Suika strikes the drum once as the crowd cheers, and the match is on.

"Woah, Team Miko Doll Spark is going for a quick attack!" Aya announces excitedly as Reimu leads a charge. "A risky maneuver, but if they pull it off, it's going to be a quick win for them!"

"But the other team seems to have expected that." Byakuren observes. "The team leader is remaining hidden behind the barrier while his comrades are defending."

"Still, Team Miko Doll Spark hardly seem fazed by the defensive fire. Looks like they've been training hard for this."

Similar to the opposite team, Marisa and Alice are laying down cover fire for Reimu, with Marisa launching a continuous barrage while Alice relies on accurate sniping. One of the opposing defenders is too slow to duck back under cover and gets nailed in the head with a snowball.

"OUT!" Shikieiki announces, as supporters of Reimu's team let out whooping cheers.

"Oh, looks like the loss of one of their members has forced the team leader to step forth! And with a pretty good barrage of his own!"

The youkai's rate of fire was faster than Marisa's, but against a team consisting of experienced danmaku players, it's almost useless; Reimu ducks and weaves among the flying snow gracefully, and releases her own, single shot. It hits the opposing team leader directly on the chest, and Suika signals the end of the match.

"Winner: Team Miko Doll Spark!"

"How long was that, Aya-san?"

"Just over a minute. A fast, quick victory by the Hakurei shrine maiden and her partners."

"Looks like we have quite the high-level team for our first match. I believe this would make Team Miko Doll Spark the favorites to win in their block."

As Byakuren speaks, a mini Suika trace a brush over one of the lines that make up the tournament chart to record Reimu and co.'s win.

"Moving on, let's go to our first match in the second block." I consult the paper I'm carrying with me. "Well now, this looks like it'll be interesting too..."

"Who are the teams?" Aya asks, peering at my paper as well. "Ayaya..."

"It's our game openers, the Three Mischievous Fairies!" I announce.

"Hey! That sounds rude!" Sunny flies to stop in front of me.

"Um, you didn't submit a team name, and it would be rude if I just called you Fairy Team One, right?" I make up on the spot.

Luckily, Sunny seems to be partially convinced by that. "Well, if you put it that way, then..."

"Besides," I look past her at the crowd. "Most of the people here think the name suits you three."

The blond fairy turns around to see most of the audience nodding in agreement. "Oh, alright..."

"Let's start then!"

This match also ends quickly; despite the cloudy sky inhibiting Sunny and Luna's abilities, they're pretty experienced in snowball fights, and Star's radar helps her detect movement. Plus all three of them have had extensive experience in snowball fights. They'll probably go far in their block, I'm sure.

Once the field has been prepped and ready, Aya starts announcing the next round. "Now, the next match is between..."

Most of the snowball fights are fast, and rarely do people actually win by fulfilling the secondary objective. But the crowd is enjoying the increasingly furious matches, as youkai and humans alike do their best to win. At the same time, my commentator group are getting worked up as well, and it produces a synergistic effect that gets everyone cheering hard for their supported team.

"OOOH! RIGHT TO THE FACE! RIGHT TO THE FACE! That's GOTTA hurt!"

"But she's not giving up, she's giving back as good as she got!"

"You there, out!"

"And that marks the end of this match!" Byakuren says cheerfully, "Both teams, make sure to thank each other for a good fight, please!"

As the teams leave the field, I turn to Byakuren. "Hijiri-san, Hijiri-san."

"Yes?"

"What do you think of the next match? People from your temple are going to be in it, right?"

"Why yes, Nazrin, Ichirin and Nue-chan are participating. Do your best, you three!"

I chuckle. "How do you feel about their chances?"

"I think they'll win, of course."

"And out comes Team Myouren!" Aya announces excitedly.

I notice that some of the crowd seem to shy away from Nue, and when I squint at her, I can make out an oddly shaped outline around her. _Guess she's using her ability to hide her true self. I still don't have any idea how I can see her true form. Just how do I do it, I wonder..._

"Begin!"

Shikieiki's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I quickly focus on the math. _Can think about it later. _"And it's off!" I shoot a quick glance at the wheel. "Looks like Team Myouren is going for the secondary objective: Making a snowman!"

"Do your best, Unzan!" Byakuren cheers the Nyuudou who's busily gathering up snow for the snowman. "Don't forget to defend, the rest of you!"

"Hey now... Hijiri-san, you're supposed to commentate, not cheer."

"Awww..."

"Ayaya, don't be so picky, Ikuto! Look, the other team has decided to do the same!"

Indeed, it has turned from a snowball fight to a snowman-building race. "It looks like the team from Myouren Temple is faster, so I believe that the other team will attempt to- oh, there they go."

Two of the opposing youkai are charging towards the Myouren side, lobbing snowballs high up into the air in a blind attempt to bombard the team. Unexpectedly, the barricade they're attacking explodes outwards, courtesy of a snarling Nue. I squint again as the crowd scatters back while Mokou advances to the front as part of the security precaution; the outline I spotted earlier is a LOT bigger now, though the tiny girl in there is still the same.

"Nue-chan..."

I flinch away from Byakuren, who is smiling with a dark aura. _She's doing that again._

Nue notices and tries to defend herself. "Ah! Hijiri, I didn't- that was, um... that, you know, that!"

_Even if you say 'that', none of us here have any idea what you mean. _

"Referee! That youkai's using her powers to attack, disqualify her!" "Yeah! Disqualify her!"

"I'm not! I didn't attack physically!"

Shikieiki is quick to give her judgment. "Participant Nue has not used her ability to attack. Continue the match!"

_Looks like they've finally found the loophole of not using abilities offensively. _"Well now, it looks like Nue's ability has disrupted their focus, while Team Myouren is nearly finished with their snowman!"

The outline around Nue shrinks and she retreats to assist in the final touches. The other team, realizing that they can't win in building the snowman, immediately switches tactics and rushes for an attack.

"Everyone~ Look out~"

"Hijiri-san, that's not being impartial, you know." Aya points out.

"Oh my! I forgot I'm supposed to- Good job, Nue-chan!"

"There she goes again." I sigh, but the snowman is already finished anyway.

"Winner: Team Myouren!"

I tap the mike to get everyone's attention. "Okay, since the barrier was destroyed, we're taking a few minutes break to repair it. Please don't forget to stay warm, have some hot drinks or something. Could I get Cirno and Tenshi to come and help?"

"That's me!"

I grab a snow shovel and walk onto the field. "Just help me to harden the snow after I pack it."

"Sure thing!"

"So what do you need from me?" Tenshi asks as she comes up.

"I think we're running a bit low on snow. Could you make some? I hear you can manipulate the weather."

"That's simple enough... if I had my sword."

I stop and look at her. "You don't have it? Why?"

"Reimu insisted that I leave it behind if I wanted to come." Tenshi lifts her hat and rubs the hair beneath it. "She didn't have to hit so hard..." She mutters.

_Damn, this throws my plan off slightly. _"Meh, just help me pile up the snow then."

"Mind if I help too?" A new voice asks playfully. "You've really put on such an interesting show for me."

I look up again to see a floating ghost I only met once before, after Yuuka told me to find her. She's dressed in a blue and white dress, wearing a tall blue hat. Her green eyes look down at me wickedly as her similarly colored hair moves around unnaturally.

"Mima, was it? I'd appreciate any help."

"Just leave it to me." She makes a gesture, and I step back as snow starts swirling together to build up a misshapen barrier.

"My turn!" Cirno holds out her hands and starts emitting a white energy from them.

"So I was called for nothing?" Tenshi demands

"Heh, yeah. I'm not needed either, it seems." I reply, smirking. "Why don't you go get something to drink?"

The Celestial grunts and heads for the drink stall. I take the chance to observe Mima; from what I know of her, she's supposedly some evil spirit that has taken up residence around Hakurei Shrine, though I wonder just why I haven't seen her till now.

Of course, she notices right away. "Yes, is there something?"

"Do you mind if I ask something?"

Mima's attention doesn't waver from building up the barrier for Cirno to reinforce. "Of course not, go ahead."

"Why haven't I seen you before despite coming here so many times before?"

"Because you were boring."

My jaw drops. _WHAT?_

"I'm joking. I was busy with some magical research, so I didn't have the time to talk to you."

I'm still in disbelief. "Not even to say hi?"

"It was some VERY important research." Mima reassures me. "All I could spare was a few looks."

"And yet you accepted immediately when Yuuka suggested you as her team member." I heft the shovel back onto my shoulder. "Suspicious..."

"Done!" Cirno interrupts us with her announcement.

"Alright, let's continue on then." I hold out my left fist to Cirno. "Good luck on your match, Cirno."

"Aye'll prove that Aye'm the strongest!" She responds excitedly, and playfully punches my fist.

"FUCK!" I swear in shock, jerking my fist back against my body because of the sudden hot & cold sensation that runs through my arm. "What the hell?"

"What's wrong?" The two of them look at me curiously.

I fight through the uncomfortable tingling in my arm and extend it. _The chain's gone! Where did it... huh? _My eyes lock onto the silver ring that had suddenly appeared on my middle finger, and I bring my hand around to examine it more closely. _A small hexagon with nothing inside, while the outside has Cirno-like wings on either side. Huh... this bears examining._

"Ikuto-! Whatcha' doing? Let's continue quickly!" Aya's voice pulls me back to reality.

"Crap. Never mind, it's nothing." I tell Mima and Cirno. "Good luck with your matches! Coming, Aya!"

_This is probably another effect of completing the chain... I'm not bonded to Cirno like I am with the rest, yet I got an accessory that is definitely linked to her... Hmm. Anyway, I got something important to do right now._

I take my seat and grab the mike. "And we're ready to continue! Next up..."

* * *

><p>I nod to Suika, and she sounds the drum three times. I wait for the crowd to quiet down before I speak again.<p>

"Everyone! We're going to take a lunch break now! As before, please make sure to keep yourself warm. Drink or eat something hot, and try not to get wet from the snow. Thank you and have a nice meal."

As if my words broke a spell, the crowd starts to shift and mutter, moving away towards the stalls. I finally give into temptation and bring out Blaze Revive to warm up my body, letting its flames wrap around and warm my limbs.

"Ah, ah, ahh... whew... my voice is hoarse."

"You were really going at it, yelling so much." Aya points out.

"Hey, some of them are worth getting excited over- WOAH!" I stumble forward as a weight falls on my back.

"Ahh, so warm~"

"Hi-Hijiri-san! Don't DO tha-" I break into coughs. "Damn, I need a drink."

"Let's go get you one then."

_Don't leave me behind after saying that! _I trudge after Aya, with Byakuren still clinging onto my back. "Hijiri-san, I'm going to dispel the fire soon."

"Awww~"

"Don't 'awww' me. Wear a scarf and gloves next time." I put away the key for my wallet, and she releases me reluctantly. "That should be common sense if you're cold, right?"

"Namusan..."

_I have no idea how to reply to that._ "Let's just have something to eat." I change the subject.

As expected, all of the teams with people I know have easily advanced through their matches. Team Miko Doll Spark are seasoned dodgers, Eirin, Reisen and Tewi are excellent snipers, Cirno and her gang are almost cheating with the rain of snowballs they can generate, Team Flower Heaven are practically firing cannons with their power, the SDM bunch a mix of power and agility, while Team Myouren have Unzan to help.

Quite a few people come up to me while I'm eating to compliment me on my organization and commentating skills, and I can't help but feel a little proud of myself for having excelled when I've had so little past experience in those two areas.

_There's still a chance to screw up... _A malicious voice whispers in my mind. _Fuck, of all times to go into pessimist mode._

"Hey there." Tewi pops up next to me, munching on food she bought from the oden store.

"Hey yourself. How's business?"

"Pretty alright, but could you not make it so obvious who's going to win? Less people want to bet that way -usa."

"I'll try. Can't help getting fired up with the way you guys keep dancing around. I'm sure a lot of people have gained a newfound appreciation for danmaku play."

The rabbit youkai chuckles. "Well, keep up the good work -usa."

Hearing that compliment from Tewi of all people somehow means a lot to me. "Thanks." I reply awkwardly.

"Alright, hurry up and eat -usa! The faster you eat, the faster this can continue -usa!" With those cheerful words of parting, she moves off, mingling with the crowd.

I finish slurping up the rest of my udon. _Guess I'll go walk it off... maybe I can figure out just what this ring is capable of._

It's already confirmed that I can still bring out the various Keyblades without any problems, but what I want to know is how does the ring factor into this. I head behind the shrine, out of sight of the crowd, but there are people there already.

"Milady! Did you see? Did you see how I won?" Meiling asks Remilia excitedly. "I was like HIYAAA! and TAKE THIS!"

"Yes, yes... I saw it all. Including the part where you got your hat knocked off." Her mistress replies impatiently.

"Ack. I was careless..."

"Milady, I'm sorry our team wasn't perfect." Sakuya apologizes, giving Meiling a look that promises chastisement.

The vampire waves it aside. "You won, and that's what matters. And here's the organizer himself." She says, looking at me as I approach.

"Spotted you above the trees. So, what do you think?" I ask.

She smiles. "Perhaps I should ask you to organize parties for me."

I stick my tongue out sheepishly. "Ahaha... being relied on like this makes me feel less confident... By the way," I change the subject. "Aren't you going to have anything to eat?"

"Not really interested."

"But I recommend the ramen stall. Really, it's good."

"Milady! I wanna try some!" Meiling raises a hand up excitedly.

"I-If it's not too much trouble... I'd like to try some too."

_WOAH! _I suddenly realize that I'm standing within the range of Koakuma's aura and jump away in alarm. "Hu...huh?"

"Patchouli-sama put a barrier on me so I wouldn't affect anyone while I'm here."

I exhale in relief. "That's good then."

"Come along then, Sakuya, Meiling." Remilia walks past me, idly spinning her umbrella.

"Don't eat too much, or else you'll affect your performance during the matches later." I remind Meiling.

"Sure-"

"No need to worry about her. Her stomach won't be affected so easily." Sakuya comments as she follows her mistress.

"Sakuya-sa~n!" The gate guard complains, but continues walking nonetheless.

Koakuma bows to me hastily and jogs after the rest of the SDM bunch, leaving me alone behind the shrine.

_Guess I can finally try it out. _I lift up my left hand, bending my hand back so I can see the ring while I pull out the key with the other. _Future Gazer._

Sure enough, Future Gazer's symbol appears on the ring as the Keyblade forms in my grip, confirming my suspicion that the ring is functioning the same way as the wrist chain originally did. Further testing proves that the switching hasn't been impaired in any way.

_So just what is different now? _I tuck away the key and examine the ring. _It's a snug fit; not uncomfortable, but I'm not going to be able to get this over my finger joint even with oil. _Looks like I'm stuck with it... unless I break it or something, but considering that Youmu's swords can't cut my Keyblades, I'm willing to bet that it'd probably be impossible to try. _Maybe there's a Keyblade or something..._

"But it's not like I can just **snap** my fingers and-" I fall silent as my left hand suddenly flushes with heat after I snapped my fingers.

Something solid appears and grows in the palm of my hand, expanding so quickly that by the time I realize what's happening, a fully formed blade of ice is in my grip. I utter another profanity and release it on reflex, and the weapon falls into the ground, nicking my boot.

"What the..." I reach out and touch the blue katana with my right hand. _It's not cold... but it's... solid? _I glance down at the clean cut it left in my boot. _Holy shit... a few cm more and I would have stabbed myself in my foot._

I test the edge; it's EXTREMELY sharp. On a whim, I pluck one of my hairs and blow it against the edge, which cuts the strand cleanly. Pulling it out of the ground with a bit of effort, I realize another characteristic I missed earlier: it has WEIGHT, unlike the Keyblades. And another additional startling thing...

_It doesn't have a keychain? Does this mean... this isn't really a Keyblade, but a sword I formed out of ice? Am I turning into an ice fairy like Cirno? No wait, AM I GOING TO BECOME STUPID LIKE CIRNO? __**A 9**__? ...okay, now I'm just being ridiculous._

I swing it around carefully; after using a weightless Keyblade all this while, it's a strange sensation to feel something dragging down my hand even when I train with an actual practice sword. Besides, I have NO intention of making a mistake and cutting off my own leg.

_Ready... stab! Dig down and out, horizontal cut! _Following the motion, I go into a spin, descending down to slice the ground in an upward arc. _Reverse, slash in an X-pattern, and... _I swing the blade behind me, stepping forward with my right, and jump off it, _CUT!_

The light blue blade sinks into the snow, a thin line indicating where it landed. I tug it free, and look over the dirty length of ice. It's not a Keyblade at all... so that means... I stab it deep into the ground and walk away... the blade remains as it is even after I go out of the usual range.

_Yep... so that also means..._ I raise my left hand.

"What are you doing, Ikuto?"

I spin around to see the three members of Team Miko Doll Spark. "Just a bit of exercise. Have you all eaten yet?"

"Yep -ze!" Marisa grins at me, pushing her hat back a little.

At the back of the group, Alice sticks her tongue out slightly and licks the tip of her finger, staring at me suggestively. I ignore it and focus on Reimu herself.

"You seem rather excited... is it because people are donating?"

Reimu's eyes suddenly glazes over and she starts muttering to herself. "So many... so many..."

Marisa sighs. "She spent the last few minutes staring at that box with a sloppy grin on her face -ze. Had to drag her away. Oi, snap out of it, Reimu!" The witch smacks her friend.

"Ow! Marisa! Uh... what just happened?" The shrine maiden looks about confusedly.

"We were walking off lunch." Alice supplies, earning herself grateful looks from me and Marisa.

"Oh. I feel like I fell asleep while walking... maybe I ate a bit too much." Reimu puts one hand on her stomach.

"Will you be okay for later?" I ask concernedly.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be ready."

"By the way... it looked like you two knew Mima. Reimu I can understand why, since Mima was hanging around here, but Marisa?"

"Oh! Mima's my teacher -ze! I haven't seen her for a while, but she taught me magic when I was young."

"And then I had to go and beat the two of you."

That explains why Marisa greeted that spirit rather warmly, while Reimu was displaying a bit of hostility. She became friends with a former enemy, but I suppose it's not so easy to do the same with the big boss? But then again... Mima's pretty much some evil spirit... it's a bit much to befriend the being who's haunting your shrine. Oh well, maybe I'll ask Mima about it when I have time.

I smile back at the trio. "Good luck then. Do your best."

"Yeah -ze!" "We will."

I walk past them and rejoin the crowd, leaving behind a small blue pedestal in the snow. As my arms swing with my gait, I notice something new. _Huh... one of the six wings has turned dark. So that's another plus to my hunch. _I snap my fingers again, and fling the new item down to pierce the ground. _That's a second one... Am I still human?_

I decide to go around and talk to Keine... she's probably with Mokou, my acting head of security. Sure enough, I find them sitting on the stairs, and join them. Without even having to say a word, Keine's hand slips into mine, warming it slightly.

"You aren't wearing any gloves, Ikuto." She observes critically.

_Oops, I forgot to put them back on after touching the ice blade. _"I took them off for something. But I suppose I could leave them off for a while longer..." I emphasize my meaning by squeezing back. "Anyway, what do you think of this so far?"

"Mm... if Kaguya was participating, I would have too."

"Mokou! You said you weren't fighting with her anymore!"

"Cheh. That doesn't mean I don't want to smack her sometimes..." Mokou mutters.

_Guess games only go so far..._ "You could always have your own snowball fight at Eientei." I point out, and receive an elbow jab.

"Don't you encourage her, Ikuto! And yes, you're doing very well so far."

"Heh, you saw through me again. Thanks, Keine."_ Always nice to get some reassurance._

"Wha... Mmm! Haa... don't surprise me like that all the time..."

"Haa... show some restraint, you two."

"Yeah, yeah... sheesh."

* * *

><p>"Enjoying yourselves, Suika, Komachi?" I ask, sitting next to the pair. "Wait, where's Shi- your boss, Komachi?"<p>

"Huh?" Komachi looks around. "Uh oh..."

I facepalm. "She's not off lecturing someone, is she?"

"Haha..." My friend laughs sheepishly. "I think she just went for some food..."

"Then why do I feel so uneasy..." I mutter to myself. "Suika?"

"Heh, _I'm_ having fun." My oni lover slurs, and indicates the crowd with a wave of her arm. "This is one really fun party you've made, Ikuto~"

I look out over the crowd. "Even if you're not exactly mingling with them?"

"Nyahaha... but you know," She holds up a finger, "Unlike me who has to use an ability to bring people together, you did this without any special power at all."

"It's just hard work, that's all."

Suika smiles at me warmly. "I'm sure someone like you could bring the oni out from underground given enough planning time."

I chuckle and put an arm around her. "Flatterer."

"Ahem." Komachi clears her throat delicately. "What about me?"

"Umm... what? You aren't enjoying this?" I ask, confused.

"Idiot." Suika chuckles, and crawls over to my other side, making space for Komachi to sidle up next to me and hug my arm.

"This way is much better."

_I totally agree. Anyway... _"How long more do we have?"

"Ayaya~ Shutter chance!"

Before I can react, Aya suddenly pops up and takes a picture of the three of us. Stunned, I watch as she tilts her head at us, then snaps off a few more.

"Wha- hey!"

"Oh come on, I'm just going around taking pictures of those who're helping out in this event." Aya replies innocently, her wings flapping slowly to keep her aloft. "It's for my article later."

Hearing her say that reminds me. "Oh yeah, but shouldn't you be taking pictures of the matches in that case?"

"So far there hasn't been any interesting ones. But don't worry, my camera is always ready!"

"Nyaha! Hey hey, take one more of us, 'kay?" Suika pulls me down so my face is near hers and she makes a peace sign.

"Hey, oi!"

"I'll do this then!" Komachi flops across my lap, lying on her side with one hand propping up her head.

"Ohh! This is much better! Smile, Ikuto!"

I sigh in resignation, and smile for the photo. After all, I AM enjoying myself, so I don't have to force one.

"Just remember to give me a print of that photo later." I tell Aya, and hop down from the roof, bending my legs to absorb the shock when I land. "Ggh... alright girls, let's get on with this show!"

Hearing the crowd cheer when we resume actually makes me feel a bit proud of myself; this is something I accomplished. Maybe I did it only with everyone's help, but surely it's okay for me to feel this way for a while? I wanted to be the start of something like this, and now I am.

"Ikuto, are you okay?" Byakuren asks.

"Huh? Oh yeah, let's, GET, ON WITH IT!" I exclaim into the mike, and the crowd cheers once again.

The further we go, the more exciting the matches become. But despite all the excitement in Aya's commentating, I notice that she has yet to take a picture. _Hmm... maybe she has a different definition of what is exciting? _My attention is drawn back to the field, where the latest matchup is starting. _Oh boy, I've been waiting for this. Two teams I know duking it out with each other._

"Next up! We have The Three Fairies versus Team Flower Heaven! Let's see who's the one to choose first!"

"Star! Go for it!"

"Leave it to me, the Celestial!"

The two players match up, and the result is decided. "Okay, Star, which one do you choose? The box or the wheel?"

"The box!"

"Okay, here you go." I hold it out to her, and she draws out a six. "Six hits till knockout! Next, Tenshi, if you please..."

As Tenshi spins the wheel, I think back to the previous matches... _we've had quite a few 'Team Leader' and 'Straight Game', two or three 'Capture the Flag'... _I chuckle when I recall how the team opposing Eientei was stunned when their flag suddenly sank into the ground, courtesy of a burrowing Tewi, _about five 'Build a Snowman', and a few of the remaining ones... except... _I blink when I see the wheel stop, the pointer on the very narrow bright red section. _Oh boy..._

"Umm... Ikuto, what's that one?" Byakuren asks.

"Ah... er..." _I don't believe this..._

"Let's see, let's see..." Aya approaches the wheel and reads the text on that section. "'Total Annihilation?' What's this one?"

"Uh... ahem! I'll explain right now..." I take a deep breath and look around. "Could those in charge of the barrier please double check it while I do? Thank you. You see... in 'Total Annihilation'... the initial rule of required hits is ignored... you keep throwing... until your opponent admits defeat or can't continue."

The crowd is silent for a while... then cries of shock reverberate through the air as the meaning of what I said finally sinks in. _Well, that's to be expected... sounds like the majority of them are looking forward to this all-out battle. _The Three Fairies are giving their opponents nervous looks, and it's obvious why. _I don't know about Mima, but Tenshi and Yuuka have already displayed heavy firepower..._

"Uh... well, let's just start and get it over with..." I mumble into the mike, and a few uneasy chuckles of agreement can be heard from the crowd.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GET IT OVER WI-" *BOOM*

"Ow. I suggest paying attention..." I point out delicately.

"Sunny! Are you okay?"

"Ayayaya... it appears we have our first casualty already, folks! Team Flower Heaven is preparing ammunition; looks like a heavy assault is imminent!"

"Oh dear... this doesn't look good..."

_Three... two... one..._ I count down silently, and watch as Yuuka and Tenshi come out from behind their barrier and start chucking... meteors would be an apt description... at the opposing team, blasting right through the wall of packed snow and pelting the unfortunate fairies. After five seconds of that, I look away and wait for Shikieiki to announce the end of the match.

"Winner: Team Flower Heaven!"

I chuckle uncomfortably. "Okay, seems like that's finally over. Out of curiosity, how many of you think that this item should be removed? Since there's such a high potential risk and all..."

"Actually, I think it's really interesting." Someone in the crowd calls out.

"Anyone else share his sentiments?" I ask, and get more voices of approval in reply. "Well, for better or for worse, I'll leave that on the wheel." _Is it me or did those cheers sound a tad sadistic?_

"We're having another break, folks! Have to repair the wall again!"

Once more, I trudge out with Cirno to fix up the thing. _Man, I hope this doesn't happen too often._

* * *

><p>"Awwwwright! Next up, let's see the battle between the members of Team Myouren, versus the members from Eientei!"<p>

The two teams assemble on the field, and almost immediately, the atmosphere turns heavy. _Woah, what's the reason for this oppressive air? _

"So... what do you eat to get those udders?" Nue asks spitefully.

"Ufufufu..." Eirin chuckles, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Would you like to know, _little girl_?"

"Master, please stop that..."

"Nue, you really should stop that..."

Despite that, the other two Myouren members are giving Eirin's chest envious looks too. _Just how much of a size complex do the people here have? _I spent a few moments watching Nue's death glares bounce off Eirin's soft... "Ah... let's get on with it. Janken players?"

"Reisen, take care of it. Tewi, your turn comes next." Eirin orders, and her two teammates nod.

Nue walks forward. "I'll take that rabbit on..."

"Jan!"

"Ken!"

"Pon!" Both of them swing their hands down, and it initially looks like Reisen's win.

But Nue's hand suddenly flickers, and the illusion dispels to reveal the real winner of that match. "Guess little miss rabbit's eyes aren't that great after all..."

"Sorry, Master." Reisen apologizes to Eirin.

"It was a possibility I expected, Udonge, so don't worry."

"Team Myouren has won the right to decide! So, box or wheel?" Aya covers for me.

"I pick the box!"

"Yes yes! Here you go!"

_Hmm, if Eirin's using Tewi, it can be assumed that whichever choice Eientei gets, they'll have the best possible outcome. I suppose this can be considered as taking the safer route; if Nue had picked the wheel, there would still be a chance they would roll a disadvantageous objective._

"And it's a... THREE!"

I wince at the volume Aya is using. "Aya-san, keep it down a little."

"Ahahaha... sorry. Next, can we have the member from Eientei spin the wheel!"

"Tewi."

"On it!" Grinning, the rabbit youkai reaches out and slaps her compatriot's butt, making her yelp.

"What was that for!" Reisen demands, but heads over to spin the wheel to determine the secondary objective.

"Aaaaaaand..." Aya squints as the wheel grinds to a halt. "That's another 'Team Leader', folks! Taking out the leader means an instant win!"

"Teams to your respective sides!" Komachi calls out unexpectedly. "What?" She protests when Shikieiki glares at her. "I just wanted to try saying it!"

Shikieiki shakes her head and focuses back on the field. "And... START!"

Both teams duck behind their barriers, probably making snowballs right away, clearly understanding the need for ammunition. The first to move is Nazrin, slipping out from the left side with one snowball in each hand.

"Nazrin is going for a quick attack! What do you think of that, Ikuto?"

_Aya's getting quite fired up... _"It's a very risky strategy, since it takes three hits before an out is declared. But as pre-emptive attacks go, it might work."

"Optimism is good." Byakuren adds.

Reisen suddenly darts out... all six of her, flinging six snowballs at Nazrin. The mouse youkai twists to her side, slipping between them as the five illusions fade, revealing the real Reisen somersaulting downwards near the edge of the border.

"There!" Nazrin flings one of her snowballs at the place where Reisen is about to land.

"Ohhh! We're going to have our first hit- What!"

The reason for Aya's surprise is because Reisen had flung the other snowball with her at the border, and used it as a foothold to jump again, avoiding Nazrin's attack.

"But she still has another one!" I lean forward in my own excitement. "Woah! We finally have our first hit of the match scored!"

"Don't get distracted, Nazrin!"

Nazrin yelps when snow smacks into her side and throws off her aim, courtesy of Eirin. However, covering fire from her reinforcements prevent Eirin from firing off any more than that. Nue and Ichirin have finished building up their store of snowballs and are going on the offense now. Meanwhile, Reisen has managed to get safely behind cover, while Nazrin is beating a retreat to get more snowballs.

"Now!"

At Eirin's command, she and Reisen lean out and start chucking snowballs to beat off the invaders. Looks like Eirin has finally gotten the hang of translating bow aiming to snowball aiming; her shots would have struck head on if their targets hadn't dodged expertly.

"Stiff resistance from the Eientei team! Double hit between Reisen and Ichirin!"

"Everyone! Don't give up!"

"Hey now... Byakuren-san, please do your job properly."

"Ichirin, stay back and get Unzan to defend you!" Nazrin shouts as she finally returns.

"Understood!" The nun-like youkai backpedals, avoiding more shots from Reisen.

"Team Myouren has switched from offense to defense! Will the Eientei team take their chance to attack?" I focus my vision on Eirin. _Wait, where's Tewi? It doesn't look like she's making snowballs judging from how long Eirin and Reisen take when they duck down._

"You're mine, little rabbit!" Nue pounces forward, arm pulled back to throw a snowball.

I realize it just as Nazrin does. "Nue, no!"

Reisen's smirk on her illusion alerts the bait too late, and Nue crashes through the snow with a yelp of surprise. Immediately, Tewi pops up from under the snow with two handfuls of snow, flinging them to smack Nue in the face.

"Kyah!"

"Oooh, nice trap maneuver! Participant Nue has received two hits!" I glance questioningly at Shikieiki, who nods in confirmation.

"Thanks Tewi! This makes three!" The real Reisen flips over her friend, poised to get the first knockout.

"Like I'll let you! Go, Unzan!"

"The team leader has come to protect her members! Go, Ichirin! Fight, Nue-chan!"

"That's the first giant snowball that wasn't made by our resident ice fairy! But what's this? She's not retreating!"

Unzan had flung a human-sized clump of snow at Reisen, but she didn't dodge, choosing instead to take the heavy blow in exchange for adding a third load of snow onto Nue's head.

"OUT! ...I wanted to say that too. Ehehe..."

"Aaaah! WHYYYY!" Nue bawls, suddenly taking to the air and flying away amidst loud cheering and applause, her outline blurring and fading into the gray afternoon sky.

"Oh dear..." Byakuren puts one hand to her face, looking after the small youkai.

"That was an amazing act of teamwork by our two rabbit inhabitants! As it is, Team Myouren is down to two members! By the way... do you want to go after her?"

"Nue-chan will be fine, I'm sure. She'll just sulk somewhere for a while and come back soon enough."

I look at where Reimu and Marisa are and see them nod in agreement. "Okay then, if you say so." _How do those two know about that anyway?_

"Hey hey! Focus on the match instead, you two!" Aya snaps at us, her camera raised.

_Looks like someone's got pictures._ "Whoops. You're right! So, Team Myouren is outnumbered right now... but they're still handling themselves quite well!"

Eirin makes a face as she brushes snow off her sleeve; she had gotten hit by a glancing shot by Nazrin while avoiding another one of Unzan's heavy shots. On the other hand, Tewi and Reisen are trying their best to harass Ichirin, keeping Unzan focused on defending as they dart around scooping up snow to maintain a continuous assault. But they too suffered hits from Nazrin, courtesy of Ichirin's signal to the mouse youkai whenever the rabbits were off-balance. The entire thing is comparable to one of those situations where everybody has a gun trained on each other... except the bullets are nonlethal.

"That makes two hits on Nazrin, Reisen and Tewi while Eirin and Ichirin both have one hit on them! Things are looking bad for Team Myouren!"

"NOW!" Eirin shouts.

Even at this distance, I can see Ichirin's eyes widen as her two opponents break off to go for Nazrin. "NAZRIN, BEHIND YOU!"

"Wha-? Kuh!" Her friend spins around, and grimaces when she realizes just what is happening.

The gray-haired youkai cuts to the left, in response to the direction Reisen is taking, while holding Tewi off with two shots. She ducks to avoid another one of Eirin's snipes, but makes the mistake of flinching when the real Reisen fades into view, having ran in the opposite direction of the illusion, giving the lunar rabbit the opening needed to hit her in the hip.

"OUT!"

"Team Myouren is down to-"

"LOOK OUT!"

"KYA!"

Tewi suddenly tackles Reisen, shoving her down onto the snow moments before another one of Unzan's shots crashes into Tewi, flinging the small figure against her team's snow wall. Shikieiki calls another out, making it two-one in the Eientei's team favor.

"Tewi? TEWI!"

"Udonge! Get up, quick!"

"Y-Yes, Master! WOAH!" She barely avoids another giant shot, but somehow manages to get behind cover.

"That was an eye-for-an-eye exchange! Reisen took out Nazrin, but Ichirin removes Tewi from the game in response!"

"That was a nice shot of the rabbit getting hit by the giant snowball! Hmm, it's hard to say which team is at the advantage here..."

Tewi limps off the field with Nazrin following, making for the hot drinks stall with the crowd parting before her. "You better win this one, Reisen!" I hear her mutter as she passes out of the border.

"I will!"

"It has been four minutes already, and only one member of Team Myouren is left! Will the remaining member be able to score a win on her own? What do you think, Aya-san?"

"Actually, it's still a two-on-two, I believe. But it does look difficult for her." Aya agrees.

"Don't give up, Ichirin-!"

Reisen is running in circles around Ichirin and Unzan, leaving afterimages like some ninja, while Eirin stays back to observe and make more snowballs. _No opening... this looks like it'll be a tough problem to solve. _

"Udonge! Attack!"

"And the attack is starting! How will they overcome the defenses?"

"Yes, Master!" Reisen starts flinging handful after handful of snow, bending down as she continues to run to scoop up the next.

"It's useless, you won't be able to hit me." Ichirin says calmly. "Give up and admit your- KYA!" She suddenly squeaks as snow splatters on top of her head.

From the air, Reisen flips down to land back on the ground, but Unzan doesn't take the opportunity to attack, fluttering worriedly around Ichirin instead.

"She found the hole in the defenses so quickly! From above!"

"My my my... you really need to be more careful, Ichirin." Byakuren chides. "And you too, Unzan."

"WAH!" The remaining member of Team Myouren shrieks once more as snow smacks into her front, courtesy of Eirin.

"OUT!" Shikieiki announces with one of her punishment boards raised, ignoring the unconscious Komachi at her feet.

_Did she smack Komachi in the head to keep her from stealing her thunder? Man, that's funny. _"And the outcome has been decided! The Eientei team wins!"

The crowd cheers and applaud, as Ichirin wipes the snow off her clothes and shakes hands with Eirin. I can't hear what they're saying over the crowd, but they're probably complimenting each other for putting up a good fight.

Looking at the tournament matchups as Suika updates them, it appears that the semi-final matches will be between people I know. Reimu's and Sakuya's teams only need to win one more match before they will get to face each other, while Eirin's team will have to face off against Yuuka's for that right. As for Cirno's team, they've been barely managing to pull through each time, but if they do win, it's going to be Winter versus Summer.

_That match sounds like it'd be interesting. _"And next up, we have the team led by the elegant maid, Sakuya Izayoi! Presenting... Team Scarlet!" _Things are coming to a climax..._

* * *

><p>To be honest, after I finished writing the first two matches, I realized that it might sound quite implausible to gather people around just to hold and watch a snowball fight. But by then, it was already too late... Well, I hope I did a good job of writing it up, because I was seriously lacking the motivation to complete this. RANDOMNESS FTW! Still, TWO WEEKS... sigh...<p>

So, the remaining teams are Reimu's, Sakuya's, Eirin's, Yuuka's, and Cirno's. One more will get knocked out before the semi-final begins, but it's quite obvious which one it's going to be. Can you just imagine the intense battle between Letty and Yuuka on Letty's territory? It's going to be utterly awesome... I hope.

On the other hand, I'm going to be REALLY distracted from writing for a while, since I've reawakened my interest in playing Visual Novels, and that is even more of a time-consumer than anything else, on top of my studies and stuff. Once again, I must repeat... school sucks, but at least other stuff is making life bearable. On a side note... I've recently developed an interest in the yukkuri culture of Touhou. So... abyusable...

Anyway, back to the topic of Ikuto. The effect of completing his chain has somehow copied a fraction of Cirno's ice powers, so now he has the ability to form blades of ice. But there are limits... and bonuses...

I've finally wrote Mima in... how many of you expected Yuuka's third team member to be her, I wonder...? But of course, I'm not going to keep her in all the way... after this, she'll be off doing... what evil spirits like her do...

Gaaah... so many ideas, but all of them are placed far into the future of this storyline!


	37. Chapter 36: Great Winter Battles Part 2

**An update after a long time...**

* * *

><p>"And that decides the rules of this match! Five hits, with no secondary objective! Teams to your positions!"<p>

This is the match between Eirin's and Yuuka's teams for the right to reach the semi-finals. As expected, the other three teams have reached the top of their respective blocks, even Cirno's, and this is the last one.

"So who will be the one to advance to the semi-finals? Let's find out! Ready... GO!"

Suika sounds the drum, and it begins. The crowd are getting increasingly fired up as the final match draws close; whether it's because things will be over or the later matches are getting more intense, I have no idea. Frankly, I just want to see who's going to win this.

"What's this? Team Flower Heaven is going for an immediate attack with its two strongest members!"

Even from here, I can see Eirin's eyes widen. "Scatter!" She barks in alarm.

The rabbits don't question the order; they scatter, and not a moment too soon. The force of the snowballs make me flinch a little as they shatter the snow barrier of the Eientei Team.

"Ayaya!"

"Oh dear, it seems like every match of theirs lately has resulted in the destruction of a barrier."

"Maybe I should have incorporated a penalty for doing that..."

"Well, it's too late to change that now! The rabbits are counter-attacking!"

Reisen slips through the barrage of snowballs, skipping back and forth across the snow as she deftly avoids shot after shot, occasionally folding her bunny ears down to avoid getting them hit. Further back, Tewi is dodging as well, but expertly taking advantage of any openings to build up an ammo cache, passing them to Eirin for the attack.

Of course, Eirin isn't the only smart one in this match. _No offense to the others... _"Participant Mima has given an order to target the snowball piles! Smart move, taking out your opponents' source of ammunition."

"Pretty smart thinking for a ghost that does nothing but hang around a shrine."

"I heard that!"

"That's a bit unhealthy," Byakuren says with a hint of disapproval, "You should get out more. Why not come visit Myouren Temple?"

"I thought spirits and temples don't mix..." I say without thinking, then slap my hand on my forehead. "Oh wait, you can't be restricted by common sense in Gensokyo!" _Besides, Murasa is a ghost at her temple already._

"That's right! Common sense doesn't apply here!" A slightly familiar voice speaks out.

"Oh, Kochiya-san. Where'd you come from?" I turn to my left to look at the Moriya shrine maiden.

"I was wondering why there were so many people around this shrine... to think that this would be taking place..." Sanae mutters.

"Hey hey, focus on the match, Ikuto!" Aya reminds me.

"Oh right! Sorry, Kochiya-san, but please be quiet and watch this match!"

She makes a sound like a grunt, folding her arms as she turns to observe the snowball fight. I notice some of the other people go up and start chatting with her.

Actually, I also had a bad feeling that Sanae might have expressed scorn about holding something like this in a shrine if we let her go on. "What'd I miss, by the way?"

"The rabbit managed to hit the Celestial in the face twice, but Eirin also received a glancing blow. Since she stumbled from that, it was counted as a hit." Aya frets a little. "Still nothing worth taking a picture of though."

"The rest of them have yet to receive a hit." Byakuren adds.

"But still," I squint at Reisen, "Doesn't it look like Reisen is starting to tire?"

Indeed, I can see her panting heavily, her breath misting in this cold air as she weaves among the shots, occasionally returning one of her own. However, unlike her previous straight shots, I can actually see gravity affect her current throws.

"Udonge! Get back!"

"I suppose Reisen would be the vanguard, Tewi the support, and Eirin the general and strategist." I say the first thing that pops into my head.

"Then what about the other team?" Byakuren wants to know.

"Tenshi is a berserker, Mima a support strategist, but Yuuka... I'm not too sure, but she's not entirely a berserker like Tenshi."

"What's a berserker?" She asks.

"Extremely high attacking power, but low on defense." I say by way of explanation.

As if to back up my words, a shot hits Tenshi in the chest. "NOT AGAIN!"

Aya nods in agreement. "I think that description really fits her."

"Udonge!" Eirin's voice cries out, drawing my attention back to my pharmacist and rabbit lovers.

Reisen was crouched down, panting. It looked like she twisted her ankle. Tenshi and Yuuka immediately target her, and I tense up unconsciously at the thought of seeing her get hit by those two heavy cannon shots.

Unexpectedly, the snow beneath Reisen gives way, and she sinks just enough that the missiles pass by harmlessly overhead. Before they can follow up, she follows through, taking cover in the tunnels Tewi dug out over the course of many matches.

"WOAH! That's some amazing coincidence!"

"I don't think so." I glance at Tewi, who's grinning triumphantly. "Luck appears to have played an important role in that."

"Isn't that the same as what I said?"

"Well... who knows...?" I give an offhanded reply and turn my gaze towards Mima. "Participant Mima has been staying back ever since the start of the match, just what could she be doing?"

"Lemme see, lemme see..." Aya leans to the side and forward slightly. "Hmm... this is strange... she's, using magic?"

"Where? I need to see this." I get up and move so I can get the right angle.

The green-haired spirit was in a circle stamped in the snow, with snowballs at different points along its border. Her mouth is moving, clearly chanting some spell out. _Well, finally somebody figured out the other loophole: as long as you attack with snowballs, it doesn't matter what you propel them with. _

"Looks like she's gearing up for a huge attack."

Eirin must have heard me, because she immediately gives the command to go on the offensive. "Tewi, Udonge, pattern beta!"

Their movements seem to be all over the place, but the longer I watch them, the more I'm sure that it is a tactic meant to create an opening... for the vanguard Reisen. _I think this team arrangement is disadvantageous for Eirin already. Reisen is their only main attacker; an expert in fighting like Yuuka would be able to know that, which makes it easy to know what are the workable plans that utilize such a player._

"Go, Reisen!" Tewi snaps, executing a perfect cartwheel to avoid two shots.

"Got it!"

Reisen charges straight forward, making my breath catch in my throat. _She's not going to dodge? That's-!_ Unexpectedly, shots from both Tenshi and Yuuka collide before they hit her, creating a small explosion of snow that hides her form from them. _Another stroke of luck on Tewi's part! Do your best, Reisen!_

"We'll cover you from below!" Eirin calls out, a smirk on her face.

"Tch! No chance of that!" Tenshi retorts, readying another snowball and looking up.

Yuuka's head snaps around to look at her teammate. "No you idiot! She's-" A few shots from Eirin cut her off mid-sentence as she's forced to dodge.

"Down here!"

Reisen breaks through the settling snow and smashes a handful of snow into Tenshi's face when the Celestial reacts too late in looking back down in response to Yuuka's warning, and the crowd roars in approval.

"Perfect shot!" Aya crows, her camera clicking away.

"Excellent play by the Eientei team! That leaves one more shot for Participant Tenshi! But it looks like she wasn't Participant Reisen's actual target!"

The lunar rabbit goes around the side of Team Flower Heaven's snow wall, heading for Mima. Yuuka is already ready to defend, but with only her alone, she is unable to pin down Reisen. Unfortunately, it appears that Mima has already completed her preparations.

"Wha- KYAH!" Before Reisen can react, she takes four hits all over her body. "What's going on!"

Yuuka, the flower devil, smirks as she tosses a snowball up and down in one hand. "About time."

"Thanks for the wait." Mima gestures with her hands, and more snowballs take flight from the circle around her. "Time to put an end to this."

"Despite the use of magic, Participant Mima is still using snowballs to attack, thus it is allowed!" Shikieiki gives her judgment so that the crowd knows it's legal.

"The odds are stacked against the Eientei team! With such snowballs, simple dodging won't suffice!"

"Ayaya... I hate to say it, but I don't think they have a chance of winning..."

"I must admit, even I have no idea how to deal with those, but... it looks like that rabbit is doing an excellent job of it!"

Just as Byakuren said, Reisen seems to be drawing on some hidden store of energy to execute incredible feats of acrobatics, rolling, flipping, cockscrews, and all sorts of other impressive looking moves I can't name, just to avoid the erratic motions of the snowballs under Mima's control. Occasionally, Yuuka attempts to hit her when it seems like she's off balance, only to have her shot avoided.

The crowd keeps cheering whenever she barely avoids a hit, shouting encouragement to that determined rabbit. After a particularly impressive backflip where the snowball brushed across her chest, the balance is broken... by Tenshi's joining in-

"Got you now- Huh?" Tenshi suddenly stops, the snowball still in her upraised hand. "C-C-CO- HYEEEEK!"

"OUT!"

-and immediate retire, courtesy of Tewi dumping snow down the back of her shirt.

I can't help it; I start laughing out loud at the sight of the Celestial hopping around trying to shake the snow out of her clothes, and the audience laughs with me.

"Can't let your guard down when there's a prankster around!" Aya chuckles.

"Dear me..." Byakuren is wearing an amused smile as well.

"But despite the loss of one of their members, it looks like Team Flower Heaven still has the overwhelming advantage! What will the opposing team do?"

Reisen attempts to avoid another weaving shot, but Tewi takes the hit for her, sticking out an arm to block another.

"Focus on that rabbit." Yuuka instructs.

"I know." Mima sends three snowballs forward.

"Tsk. Looks like I've gotta take more hits -usa." Tewi mutters.

"We surrender."

_Huh?_ Everyone pauses at the sound of that voice. "Sorry... excuse me?" I ask without thinking.

"We're conceding this match." Eirin repeats, stepping forward.

"The match has ended!" Shikieiki calls out, and Suika sounds the drum. "Winner: Team Flower Heaven!"

"An... an unexpected surrender!" Aya exclaims, and flies forward to hold the mike to Eirin. "What... what made you choose to surrender?"

"It was clear that my team couldn't win. I just picked the logical choice."

"Don't forget to thank each other for the good match!" Byakuren calls out excitedly, waving at the teams. "Both of you did great!"

Yuuka walks over to Reisen, who's brushing snow off her clothes. "Little rabbit."

"Y-y-yes! What is it?"

"You moved pretty well... better than this idiot here." The flower youkai snatches Tenshi off her feet by grabbing the back of her collar.

"Who are you calling an- UGH!" Tenshi wheezes when a heavy fist slams into her stomach.

"You. Anyway, that was a good match." Yuuka slings the gasping Celestial over her shoulder and starts walking away. "C'mon, Mima."

"Coming! Thank you too." Mima nods to Eirin, and floats off after Yuuka.

"What about me -usa?" Tewi mutters audibly.

"You were good for a laugh." The reply comes floating back.

"Everyone! Please give both teams a huge round of applause!" I wait for the cheering to subside. "With that, our lineup for the semi-finals have been decided!"

A snap of my fingers signal the mini-Suikas, who take down the previous tournament matchup board, and put up a smaller, different one with the names of the four teams. Team Miko Doll Spark is up against Team Scarlet, while Team Flower Heaven is against the Strongest Team; all in all, things look like they'll be really interesting.

"And we're going to have a slight change in rules! First, we'll do away with the wheel..." I walk over to it and push it over. "And the ball drawn from the box... will indicate the hit limit, FOR THE WHOLE TEAM!"

I can hear some mutters of dissatisfaction in the crowd, so I quickly improvise. "Well, that's for numbers four and above. If they happen to draw a one, two, or a three, then the rules will remain like they were before. That way, the matches won't be so fast."

"Also, in order to make things a bit more fun... it is now possible for participants to use anything they like to block shots, provided the shot is not manually thrown." I provide some examples of what I mean by enlisting the help of Alice's dolls.

In addition to the changes in the match rules, we remade the tournament field with the help of those who are already out of the game. Instead of one single tall barrier on each side, this time there are various shorter walls scattered around the place; one has to crouch down entirely instead of simply bending over to get proper cover, and not all of them are parallel to each other, some being perpendicular instead.

"So you can see," I step on top of one of them and stamp lightly. "They can take quite a bit of weight, thanks to their hard core. Please be careful not to slip and fall while you're on top!"

_Well, it looks like they find this change interesting enough. I thought I was going to lose their attention at this point of time. _I hop down and start walking back to the table. _But it looks like things are fine for now. _I tap Aya on the shoulder to signal her to take over for a bit.

"Alright! First up! On my left, Team Miko Doll Spark!" Aya seems to be really getting into it, sweeping her hand out to indicate the three.

"This match won't be like the others." Alice warns her teammates.

"Don't worry, it'll be a cinch -ze!" Marisa doesn't seem to be bothered in the least, though Reimu is wearing a serious expression.

"And to my right, hailing from the Scarlet Devil Mansion, we have Team Scarlet!"

"We sure are being looked down on, aren't we?" Sakuya observes coolly, her arms crossed.

"I'm looking forward to the chance to pay back that black-white for all the times she's intruded." Meiling smacks one fist into a palm, while Koakuma looks between her two teammates flusteredly.

"That's just because you're not doing your job well."

"Teams to your positions!" Shikieiki calls out.

"You can feel the tension in the air!" I say into the mike. "There's certainly some bad history between the members of both teams, you could say!"

"What sort of bad history are you talking about, may I know?" Byakuren asks curiously.

"Let's ask... hmm, Miss Margatroid, what would you say the reason for all this tension is?"

"Well, I believe it's because of a certain _someone_ who borrows stuff without asking."

"Yes indeed, a certain _someone_ who creates a mess whenever she comes to visit_._" Sakuya nods in agreement.

Reimu closes her eyes as she nods as well. "_Someone_ who often comes to drink other people's tea and eat other people's snacks."

"This certain _someone _also outright intrudes even when she's not welcome." Meiling crosses her arms, looking at the other team solemnly.

"So, there's a certain _someone_ here who does all of these things... just who could it be?"

"Hahaha... yeah -ze, who could it be, I wonder?" Marisa laughs shamelessly, tipping her hat.

There's a brief moment of silence, until I break it by saying, "You know, Aya-san, if you had your pet crow with you right now, I'm sure it would caw." (1)

Most of the people listening don't seem to get it, but a few, like Sanae, get what I mean and chuckle. _Either she probably realized that from living near tengus, or she watches anime. It'd be nice if it was the latter._

Aya does as well, slapping me good-heartedly on the shoulder before turning back to her mike. "Well, this is THE place to settle things once and for all! So let's get STARTED!"

_Man, she's really good at this._ "Team leaders, decide who will be the one to draw from the box!"

Sakuya wins the janken match, and she draws a seven. After checking that both teams understand the new match rules, I dismiss them to their respective ends.

"Both sides are crouching down, no doubt preparing for the signal!"

"There's a noticeable difference in the atmosphere compared to the previous matches." Byakuren comments.

"Indeed, this promises to be an exciting match between two excellent teams!"

"START!"

"Participant Alice Margatroid is following Participant Mima's example in the previous match, and is using magical dolls to make and carry snowballs!"

The puppeteer's fingers flicker around so quickly, making a veritable army of dolls gather and pack snow into roughly spherical shapes, putting Team Miko Doll Spark's snowball building speed far beyond Team Scarlet's. Now it's a matter of who attacks first...

"Go."

Alice makes the first move, sending three snowball-carrying dolls forward in a probing attack. All three of them are stabbed through with knives flung by the cool maid before they even travel half the distance.

"Expert use of knives by Participant Izayoi in defense."

"And they're starting!" Aya adds.

"Ha!" Meiling dashes forward, aiming for Marisa. "Take that, Black-white!"

"Woah woah woah!" The witch barely dodges two shots, but recovers quickly. "Heh, missed me! How's this?" She retaliates with a snowball of her own.

Meiling reacts by executing a backflip just like Reisen did, but as her hands pull free of the snow, they're already molding a rough snowball, which she launches just like a softball pitch. Not expecting that, Marisa takes the hit in her right shoulder.

"That quick exchange has resulted in Participant Kirisame coming off worse! The first hit has been scored by Participant Meiling!"

"My, that was an amazing counter attack!" Byakuren gushes.

_Wait, gushes? What the heck's with that? Does Byakuren have the hots for Meiling? _I put that thought out of my mind with some furious shaking, and refocus on the match. "Every attack doll that was sent out has been shot down by a knife!"

Alice cuts off her connection to the magic dolls, making them fade, and sends out more. "Kuh! Reimu!"

"Leave it to me!"

The shrine maiden dashes forward, vaulting over the low walls in her way. Despite being in the air, she somehow manages to slip through the snowballs thrown by Sakuya and Koakuma with a grace that's almost unrealistic, making her way towards them.

"Like I'd let you! HAH!" The gate guard twists her body, and kicks a section of a wall at Reimu with a spinning heel kick.

"Tch!" Reimu dives down to the ground to avoid it, and is immediately pinned down by Koakuma's fire.

Marisa picks that moment to counterattack. "Don't turn your eyes a-"

"I haven't forgotten about you." Meiling interrupts, bringing her leg back around to repeat the same move, this time with a roundhouse kick.

"Yeow!" Marisa yelps as the heavy clump of snow clips the edge of her hat, instead of her head if she hadn't moved. "Are you trying to kill me?" She demands, peeking over the edge of the wall.

"No, of course not..." The reply sounds innocent, but Meiling is cracking her knuckles with a wide grin on her face.

_Looks like someone has a grudge to settle. But man, all that took place in less than ten seconds, and the crowd is... silent? _I turn my head to look. Momentarily stunned by the burst of action that had just taken place in front of their eyes, the crowd explodes with cheers and yells. _Ah, delayed reaction, that's all._

"That was an amazing exchange between both teams! Let's give them some encouragement!" The audience roars again in response to my words.

"Sakuya! Koa!" Meiling turns away from the other and faces in Reimu's direction, leaving her teammates to defend her. "HaaaaaAAAH!"

She slashes a section of the wall vertically with both hands, then digs her fingers at the bottom of the block she created, and flings it up. _Woah, table flipping skill? Pretty cool! _I watch as the thing hurtles through the air, coming down to crash on where Reimu was taking cover.

"Yikes!" Reimu dashes out, barely avoiding getting crushed.

Sakuya is waiting in front of her. "Careless!" The maid thrusts out a hand, intent on delivering a payload of snow to the shrine maiden.

"Not so easy!" Reimu parries it with her left, stepping in as she uses her other hand to scoop a hole out of the nearby wall and slamming it against Sakuya's midriff.

"And there's the equalizer!" I announce.

They break apart, dodging shots flung by the teammate of their opponent as they hide behind the low walls. But instead of a break in the action, things start heating up from there; Marisa manages tp score a hit on Meiling when she was distracted by a sudden sneak attack from Reimu, a snowball accidentally launched high by Koakuma happens to land on Alice's head, all sorts of funny and exciting scenes take place, and when I take a glance at the timer, the score is at four-three in Team Scarlet's favor.

_All that took place in... only TWO minutes? Wow... _I look back at the current events unfolding in front of us. _So they've realized that Koakuma is the weak point of Team Scarlet. _The three Main Characters have started aiming for the succubus, while her colleagues are doing their best to defend and score hits at the same time. _But as expected of people experienced in defense; they are amazing with their suppression abilities. And that teamwork..._

"Sakuya! Cut it up, please!" Meiling removes another block of snow and tosses it upwards.

Two knives appear in Sakuya's hands, and she reduces it into fist-size chunks in a flicker of silver that I can't catch. Below it, Meiling is gathering her energy for an attack.

"Suuuuu... Hatatatatatatata!" She punches repeatedly with incredible speed, somehow not destroying the cohesion of the snow blocks as she hits them at the opposing team.

_Huh, a shotgun-type attack. Not only are they random, but their speed isn't something easily dodged._

"Awawawa!" Marisa dives down, though one knocks her hat off.

Reimu fares much better, actually managing to throw back a shot as she flips between the trajectory lines. "Tch!"

"Kuh!" Not expecting that sort of counterattack, Meiling reacts by blocking it with a fist.

"Penalty to Team Miko Doll Spark for blocking with the use of magic!" Shikieiki calls out.

"Participant Margatroid used her dolls to block, but since Participant Meiling's attack was performed with her fists, it is considered a violation of the rules!" I explain for the audience's benefit.

"That means just like the previous times, the opposing team gets a point, isn't that right?" Byakuren asks me.

"Exactly. So the current score is five to four. Two more hits by Team Scarlet, and they'll move on to the finals!"

"Reimu, what will we do? We're going to lose at this rate -ze!"

I can hear the grin in Reimu's voice as she answers Marisa, "Hey, I didn't think you were the type to give up easily."

"Oi oi, do you really think I'm like that? Don't make such lame jokes -ze!"

"Then let's show them what we can do. Marisa! Alice!"

"Yeah -ze!"

"You can count on me."

Even from here, the change in the atmosphere is noticeable, and I can imagine what Iku might say if she was here. "Team Miko Doll Spark are getting more determined to win! Give those girls a round of applause for their effort!"

"Alice, back up Marisa. I'll handle things alone." Reimu orders as she stands up, her attention focused on the opponents hurling snowballs at her.

"Send your dolls behind me -ze!" Similarly, the witch is advancing.

"Sakuya, we're being looked down on, aren't we?" Meiling asks without turning her head as she continues to throw snowball after snowball.

Her colleague answers as she uses one hand to throw her own shots, the other keeping a knife at the ready. "Yes. To lose here would be a disgrace for Milady."

"Then we just have to win."

"Woah-ho, Team Scarlet is just as determined..." Aya announces, "Nearly all of them..." She amends, looking at the timid Koakuma.

Then it starts; Sakuya throws knives at the dolls near Marisa, who suddenly produces her broom out of nowhere to swat them away as she advances. Meanwhile, Meiling is trying to hit Reimu directly with two handfuls of snow, forcing the Hakurei shrine maiden to back away as she tries to hit the gate guard with snowballs of her own. At the back, Koakuma is supporting Sakuya by throwing snowballs at Marisa, who nearly makes the mistake of blocking with her broom before recalling the rules and dodging instead.

"It looks like the maid is taking advantage of that opening."

"Uh, Hijiri-san, it's not 'looks like', because it is." I correct.

"I'll have you lose right here." Sakuya jumps up. "And the dolls as well." She throws out knives with a flick of her wrist.

The three dolls following Marisa get impaled and fade away before they hit the ground, but the witch doesn't seem too bothered. Instead, there's a brief flash of green, and she starts digging her hands into the ground. Meanwhile, Sakuya is bringing her other hand back as she descends, ready to take another point.

"Here... ZE!" Marisa grunts, and performs the same flipping action that Meiling did before.

"Wha... Ugh!"

Unable to dodge in midair without the use of her flight abilities, and unable to hit Marisa because the block of snow is between the two of them, Sakuya takes the hit right in her stomach, and tumbles onto the ground.

"Sakuya!" Meiling makes as though to go over to where Sakuya lands, but a sharp command stops her.

"Pay attention to yourself!" The maid pushes herself up and retreats to make more snowballs.

"Kuh!" Meiling tilts her body to avoid another shot, and fires back one of her own with a burst of blue energy.

I catch sight of the triumphant expression on Reimu's face as she throws out four amulets, momentarily creating a barrier to intercept the attack. She then launches more snowballs through the fading blue wall, and Meiling bends over backwards to avoid them. But with the snow walls on either side of her, it doesn't look like she will be able to dodge the next one.

"Ei!" Koakuma throws one, forcing Reimu to break off her attack.

"Tch! Marisa! Alice!"

The witch is also retreating, but the puppeteer's advancing. "Are they trying some team attack?"

"Looks like..." Byakuren replies without much conviction.

What happens next takes me by surprise; Marisa grabs Reimu's hands and swings her friend up into the air, while Alice brings out nearly ten dolls from behind a snow wall, and sends them forward in a widespread formation. Some of the dolls head for Reimu, who takes the snowballs they're carrying and bombards Team Scarlet from above. The rest advance behind Marisa, who has her broom at the ready, and Alice continues to make more attack dolls to support her teammates.

The sudden display of such flawless teamwork takes Meiling and Sakuya by surprise, and though the dodge the worst of it, Meiling gets clipped on the leg by a doll, while Sakuya receives takes a hit on her right shoulder.

"A sudden turnaround by Team Miko Doll Spark with an amazing combination attack! What will Team Scarlet do?"

"Focus on the red-white!" Meiling dives into a roll, and comes up holding a snowball. "All together!"

Once more, the redheaded youkai fires off an attack powered by that blue energy, and Reimu brings up the barrier in reflex. However, that was what Sakuya was waiting for, and she hits it with her own snowball.

"Penalty to Team Miko Doll Spark!"

"Interesting way of using the rules against your opponents." Aya comments, "Did you consider that when you made the rules, Ikuto?"

"Not really. But it's quite a fun twist to have, don't you think?"

"Sounds like it can be abused." The tengu's tone makes it clear that she doesn't.

"I'm kind of random that way... besides, it's fun!" I reply flippantly, and Aya opens her mouth to retort...

"Kya!" Someone squeals, and I hear someone hit

"Winner: Team Miko Doll Spark!"

"Huh?" Both me and Aya say at the same time, turning our attention back to the field.

"You both missed it. A doll popped up from behind the small girl with red hair and hit the back of her neck with a snowball." Byakuren informs us. "You also missed a really exciting exchange between the maid and the shrine maiden."

_So that was Koakuma. Damn. _I exchange glares with Aya. "**This is all your fault**." We both say at the same time. "**Stop copying me**." The crowd hears us and laughs.

Rather than risking continuing that exchange, I turn away and nudge Byakuren with one elbow, and she obliges me in getting the audience to cheer for both winners and losers, as well as interviewing both teams on their opinions of the match. Sakuya expresses her regret that she couldn't win this round, and promises to win the next; she doesn't say it explicitly, but I can tell the message is for Remilia. In response, Reimu only says she'll take the first prize, but when Marisa adds that she's just being tsundere about having so many visitors, the shrine maiden turns so red that even the tips of her ears are colored.

"Now, which team will earn the chance to take on Team Miko Doll Spark in the finals? Let's hear it for Team Flower Heaven and the Strongest Team!"

I hear some snickers when Aya names Cirno's group, but it's more good-natured than scornful.

"Yay! Aye am the strongest!" Cirno makes a declaration that sounds like it'd be more appropriate after she had won.

"Shall we get on with it?" I inquire of Aya. _Even the cold is starting to get to me by now._

"I agree as well." Byakuren covers the mike and whispers to me, "Could you provide some heat, please?"

"Not right now." I hiss back. "Let's see who gets the draw-"

"I'll let the stupid fairy go first." Yuuka interrupts.

"Hey! Those who call others stupid are stupid themselves! Stu~pid, stu~pid!"

I facepalm as the audience roars with laughter, then snap my fingers repeatedly to get her attention. "Cirno, focus. Here, draw a ball."

She obliges, and when I see what she's drawn, I wonder if someone out there is screwing with me, because the ice fairy... has drawn a 9. _Just like Cirno... _I wink at her, and she smirks back. _Yep, she's seeing it as a sign because of the title I gave her back then._

"Good luck." I murmur just loud enough for her to hear, before speaking into the mike again. "So we have a hit limit of nine hits! And-"

Once again, Yuuka interrupts me, this time by snatching away the mike. "Since there's a limit of nine, and there are three of us, I propose having one-on-one matches."

"Hey, is that really okay, Ikuto?" Aya taps my shoulder.

"Well, she does have some pull with the crowd, and I'd like to see what she has planned."

"One on one, one participant, one match! Maximum three hits per player! Surrendering is allowed, but the other players have to score to make up for it! Other than that, same combat rules!" The flower youkai cuts an imposing figure as she names the add-on rules, her attention focused on the other team.

The crowd mutters a little at that, but no one voices a clear objection. _I think I know where she's going with this, _I muse, glancing at Letty. _Well, let's give her a hand. I want to see how their fight goes. _I nudge Byakuren with my foot, drawing her attention, and send her subtle signals.

"Does anyone have any objections to this?" The Myouren Temple priestess asks, looking between both teams. "Great Yama? If so, then please decide your lineup!"

_I can predict this for sure... after all, there are two pairs of rivals present, so that narrows things down perfectly._ Sure enough, the matches are between Daiyousei and Mima, Cirno and Tenshi, and the final fight between the avatars of winter and summer, Letty Whiterock and Kazami Yuuka respectively.

I butt in before they move off to their respective ends. "Yuuka-san, can I have my mike back?"

"Catch." She flings it at me so hard my hand stings painfully from catching it.

"Ow." I switch it over to my other hand and shake the pins and needles feeling off before continuing on. "And so, let's have our first one-on-one match between Team Flower Heaven and the Strongest Team!" I nudge Aya.

"From Team Flower Heaven, we have Participant Mima!"

I nudge Byakuren next. "And her opponent from the Strongest Team is that cute little fairy with green hair!"

I facepalm. "Um, Hijiri-san, her name's Daiyousei."

"Oh dear. Sorry about that, Daiyousei-chan."

That matter settled, the uninvolved members leave the field, leaving only Mima and Daiyousei standing among the damaged walls.

"Ready... start!"

"Run, little fairy." Mima gestures, and two snowballs burst out of the ground, flying towards Daiyousei. "Let me have some fun."

"Awaaaa!" The small fairy dodges, hiding behind a wall.

"Dai-chan, do your best!" Cirno calls from the side.

I can already see that this match is extremely imbalanced; Mima isn't even trying, simply moving around so she can get straight shots only, and that's already enough to force Daiyousei on a nonstop retreat.

"One-sided, wouldn't you say?"

Aya nods. "Definitely."

The first hit comes when Daiyousei hops on top one of the walls and throws a snowball at Mima. The spirit drifts to the side unconcernedly and hits the fairy in the chest with a snowball. Then things take a turn for the unexpected.

"I admit defeat." says Mima, and leaves the field.

_Just what is she... Oh. Of course. _"Participant Mima has admitted defeat after scoring one hit! Just what's going on here? No one knows, but one thing's for sure, Team Flower Heaven has the lead in points!"

"Hijiri-san," Aya leans around to look at my other commentator. "Do you have any theories on why Participant Mima did that?"

"I believe this is a way of saying that her other two members are capable of handling the rest."

I pretend to nod as though I just understood. "I see. Well, let's see how they handle it! Up next is Hinanawi Tenshi versus Cirno the ice fairy! With the points carried over, Participant Tenshi needs to score five hits for a win, while Participant Cirno only requires three!"

"Don't worry, Dai-chan! Aye'm going to prove that Aye'm the strongest again!"

"I'm not going to lose this time, fairy. Not even if it's a game."

Shikieiki gives the signal. "Start!"

"Eieieieieieieieiei!" Cirno immediately starts off by shooting snowballs up into the air at a furious rate. "Eieieieieieieieiei!"

"Woah! Hey! That's cheating!" Tenshi shakes a fist at Cirno, but is forced to keep dancing around to avoid the random rain of shots. "Yeek! Woo! Hiyeek!"

"Take this! Strongest... SNOWBALL!" The Ice fairy uses both hands to throw a bowling ball-sized block of snow.

"Hah! As if that would hit me..." Tenshi trails off as she realizes the effect of the tactics Cirno picked up in our spars. "WHA-"

_That's some amazing flexibility in that plan... I wonder what Cirno would have done if Tenshi had dodged the other way instead of running into the long corridor. _Next to me, Aya snaps off a picture as Tenshi gets bulldozed by a growing ball of packed ice pushed by Cirno. _Well... that's one point for Cirno. She's actually playing it cautious this time round, breaking off to let the snowball stop rather than encasing Tenshi in it._

The fairy dodges back as Tenshi pulls herself free on the top of the giant ball to throw two handfuls of snow. This time it's Cirno's turn to dodge around as the Celestial harvests the snow beneath her for her 'meteor' shots.

"WAHA! WAHAHAHAHA! RUN! RUN! WAHAHAHAHA!"

"Participant Tenshi's really fired up, isn't she~"

I recall the time she was fighting against Orin in the underground. "She's too sheltered, I think. A bit of excitement, and she'll get carried away."

"I see," says Byakuren, "But doesn't that leave her open to attacks?"

"Exactly. And unlike Participant Cirno, she's not moving around."

Apparently Tenshi heard me, because she jumps off, putting the snowball between her and Cirno. The next minute is a slapstick scene as they both circle around it trying to catch sight of the other, switching directions almost at the same time, but it's Tenshi who proves the more vigilant of the two, and Cirno takes a heavy hit on her arms. The tide of the battle reverses, and now Cirno is the one being pursued around.

"Looks like the tables have been turned!" Aya cheers.

"Apparently even a fairy would feel the force from a hit of that magnitude." I shrug slightly. "But she's a fairy, and she's strong. So I'm not too worried."

Tenshi turns her head towards me and yells, "What about me then!"

"Someone who lets her guard down at the wrong time." I observe clinically, and before Tenshi can reply, Cirno's snowball smacks into the side of her head and knocks off her hat. _I'm kind of glad to see that teaching Cirno to take advantage of openings paid off._

"Don't mess with the strongest! Ei!"

Diving down to dodge Cirno's next shot, Tenshi appears to be working on something furiously. However, her opponent isn't so kind as to let her do that, and starts firing off bombarding shots again. _What's she got in her hands? _I squint at Tenshi as she scrambles to get out from under the rain. _Hm? It's a snowball, but..._ My eyes widen when I see the snowball shoot out of her hands at Cirno without being thrown.

"Uwah!" The ice fairy breaks off and starts running around as it chases after her.

"Did Participant Mima teach her the same magic she used?"

_Ah, I see... _I make eye contact with Shikieiki to verify my hunch. _Yeah, Cirno would win by penalty if she just let it hit her, since a mini-keystone is inside that snowball. But still, _I facepalm as Cirno keeps trying to avoid the snowball, _if it's not thrown by hand, and it obviously ISN'T since it's homing, she can block it by making an ice shield. Looks like Cirno's still not quite there yet._

"Eat this!" Tenshi takes the shot when Cirno ducks to avoid a dive-bombing, hitting her squarely in the shoulder. Judging from the way Cirno's acting, she's not going to get any more use out of it for a while.

"And that's a second hit by Participant Tenshi! Three more hits to go for her, while her match partner only needs one more!" I notice Aya has her camera raised up, tracking whichever of the two that happens to be visible from the commentators' desk.

"It looks like Participant Cirno has resorted to hiding behind walls! Good thing her body's small enough already; she doesn't have to bend over too much!"

Tenshi tries to flush Cirno out by sending the stone down the passageways between the walls, but without being able to see where to aim, it's a failed plan. Recognizing that, Tenshi summons the snowball back.

"Ehehehe!"

"What are you laughing for, stupid fairy?" Tenshi cocks her arm back, and throws another snowball when Cirno's head pokes over the top of a wall.

Of course, it misses. But what follows next is something reminiscent of whack-a-mole, as Cirno keeps popping her head up in various different places while Tenshi tries to score a headshot.

In the end, it's Yuuka who breaks the deadlock. "Break the walls!" She snaps angrily.

"I know that!" Tenshi lies through her teeth, and starts aiming for the wall directly.

"Eieieieieieieieiei!"

"That again? I know where you are!" Tenshi shatters another section of the wall, but Cirno's not behind it. "There! Wha-, a fake? Then that one's the real one! It's a fake too?"

Once again, I keep my mouth shut as I watch Cirno sneak around while Tenshi continues to break the ice statues she made. _With only a small blue ribbon peeking out, it's not easy to figure out which one is the real one and which one is the fake._

"To your left!" Yuuka warns, and Tenshi quickly ducks as three snowballs fly through the place where her head was a moment ago.

"Che!" Cirno lowers her one good arm and starts running again.

"I see you!" The homing snowball flies after Cirno again.

Cirno aims her hand backwards as she keeps dodging the snowball, firing back weak shots that fall short of their target. But eventually she gets back under cover once more, and they start playing hide-and-seek again. However, Tenshi manages to score a glancing blow on Cirno's hit during that time, making the score three-two.

"So, how do you think this will end, Ikuto?"

"It's hard to say... but I have a feeling that Cirno still has something up her sleeve." I rub my chin thoughtfully. "Say what you will, but Cirno's got willpower." _Though I wonder if it's willpower born of stupidity sometimes._

A giant ball of blue energy suddenly appears, and I can feel the temperature drop; those near the field quickly back away, and so does Byakuren. The energy manifests as an equally-sized snowball that blasts straight up high above Cirno, with everyone's eyes following it.

"And... GOOOO!" Cirno fires a giant icicle after it.

Tenshi's jaw drops open as the snowball breaks up into many small pieces, raining back down. "WHAAAA-!"

The rain is so heavy I have difficulty in making out what's going on, but I can tell that Tenshi is huddling under one of her keystones at least.

"Looks like it's going to end." Aya comments, getting up to approach the field with her camera.

_What is it she saw... _"Ah!"

"Here's payback from the Strongest!"

"Shutter chance!"

Aya gains another picture of Tenshi getting pasted in the face. _Reisen's was a thrust, kind of like a boxer's punch. On the other hand, Cirno's was like a close-range baseball pitch... nice throwing form._

"And the winner is Cirno from the Strongest Team! However, the score is at four-three, in favor of Team Flower Heaven! Now..." I look over at Yuuka. "It's time for the final match! Unexpectedly, it's not between the team leaders!"

"Hard to believe that this isn't the final match yet." Byakuren's voice observes.

"Are you still going to stay back there? It's not that cold anymore."

"Ah no, I'm fine."

"Oh oka- UWOAH!" I duck to avoid a snowball aimed at my head, trading a head-ripping impact for a nonlethal, but still painful, smack on the forehead when the momentum crashes my head into the desk. "Yuuka-san, please do not attack the staff!"

"Then hurry up and start already!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh." I nod towards the judge. _Guess someone's desperate for a chance to take a shot at Letty..._

"BEGIN!" At Shikieiki's signal, Yuuka crouches behind one of the still standing walls while Letty gathers the snow around her to form snowballs of various sizes.

I watch as Letty makes the first move, approaching the place where Yuuka was hiding. _Huh, I thought she would- HOLY SHIT! _

Apparently Yuuka was just gathering her energy, because she crashes through the wall like a runaway train and punches Letty hard enough to send the winter youkai flying all the way to the other end of the field.

"Participant Yuuka just scored the first hit of the round! It may look like she punched Participant Letty, but these eyes saw the snowball that was in between!" Aya points at her own eyes as she speaks into the mike excitedly. "But Participant Letty managed to counter three times in that short moment!"

Yuuka brushes the snow on her clothes off negligently, and dashes towards Letty so quickly she kicks up a huge cloud of powdery snow at her starting point.

I watch the unfolding battle. _You can't call this a match anymore. It looks more like a one-sided pounding... _"Tell me when it's over, please." I tell Aya, then turn away. _Shouldn't have let Yuuka do this, now that I see this._

"You like snow, don't you! Have some more then! HERE! HERE! YOU LIKE THAT, YOU WINTER YOUKAI?"

"Participant Yuuka disqualified for excessive force!" Shikieiki's voice cracks like a whip.

"That was some brutal play by Participant Yuuka, and she's been disqualified for it! But just how will the judge decide the score?"

"I do hope that girl isn't too hurt." Byakuren says worriedly.

Taking it as my cue that it's okay to look, I turn back towards the field. The flower youkai and the winter youkai are at opposite ends of the field with Komachi's scythe raised between them, covered in liberal amounts of snow. Despite that, neither of them looks particularly bothered. In fact, Yuuka is wearing a refreshed expression as she stretches her hands above her head, while Letty is just getting to her feet, her expression cool as always.

I notice Shikieiki beckoning to me, and cross the field over to her. "Yes?" _Must be a tough decision if she's consulting me._

"Who do you think won that match?"

I bite back a retort about her not using her ability to decide. "I'd say it's Cirno's team, despite the difference in points."

She nods. "I share the same thinking. After all, she's the one who chose the rules for this match, though she did not specifically state that a team couldn't win through that number of matches won." Shikieiki's eyes dart to the left, which is where Yuuka is. "And apparently, she seems to have satisfied her desire for joining."

_Beating up the youkai of winter, huh? _"If you thought the same, then what's the point of calling me over?"

"Hurry up and announce my decision." Shikieiki sits back in her chair and gives me a LOOK.

_Geez, I can't go against that... _I back off, noting that the people surrounding her do the same even though she's not looking at them directly. _Man, what sort of aura is that? It reminds me a little of Byakuren's dark smile. Well, no point thinking about it... Oh wait!_ I force a sober expression on my face and return to my table to speak to my colleagues.

"I will now announce the judge's decision... the winner is the Strongest Team!" Byakuren announces to half-hearted cheers.

"You pushed it to her on purpose." Aya accuses me just loud enough for the two of us to hear.

"Seven hundred and sixty-three. (2)" I reply with a smirk, and turn back to my mike. "With their victory, they have earned the right to go up against Team Miko Doll Spark! We'll have a short break while we repair the field. Once again, don't forget to keep warm!"

* * *

><p>"So... what brings you all this way here?" I ask Sanae.<p>

"I was thinking of paying a visit to Reimu. So you planned everything?"

"I had a lot of help." I answer modestly. "You'll be staying to watch the rest, right?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Please say you will." I ask. "We're going to have a sort of celebration afterwards."

"Well, if you ask like that, then it would be rude of me to refuse, right?" The green-haired shrine maiden smiles. "I'll just inform Kanako-sama about this first."

"Sure thing." I nod, watching her get to her feet.

Her expression becomes slightly disapproving as she looks down at me. "However, I think you should refrain from acting in such a manner." With that, Sanae takes her leave.

There's a minute of silence as I consider what she said. "Really... what would other people think if they see you holding on to me like this?" I ask futilely.

"Does it really matter? It's warm, after all." Byakuren replies with a happy tone as she continues to cling onto my back.

_How did I let myself get talked into this? _

I was referring to the short break during which I finally gave in to Byakuren's request by pulling out Blaze Revive to let her warm herself up. Of course, we're doing it in the designated break room. Imagine the panic if I lit myself up outside... someone would probably try to throw water on me before I could explain things, and then I'll freeze in the cold temperatures.

_Because you're too kind, Ikuto._ Keine's voice sounds in my head.

I feel the bottom drop out of my stomach. _Keine... oh shit... _

Her tone has a touch of amusement in it. _I'm not jealous or anything. _

I look around for Keine and spot her standing with Mokou on the opposite end of the room, both of looking in my direction with expressionless faces. _Then why are you looking at me like that?_ _It feels like you're stabbing me with that look. _The oppressive feeling increases when Byakuren starts humming into my ear.

_Okay, _maybe_ I am a little jealous. _She admits.

_Only a maybe?_

"Ooooi! The field's ready, Ikuto! Let's continue!" I hear Aya before I see her, and quickly disentangle Byakuren's arms from around me.

"Got it!" I reply, as Byakuren murmurs unhappily behind me. "Wait," I ask suspiciously, "Why are you holding your camera?"

"Oh, this?" The tengu replies a little _too _innocently, "I just took some pictures of them fixing the field."

I snort my disbelief. The 'them' she mentioned is referring to Letty and Cirno, the only ones I can rely to repair the walls quickly and well, but I don't think what they do is interesting enough to get Aya to take pictures. On the other hand, when it comes to the topic of the girl with me...

Turning to the rest of the people in the room, I clap my hands to get their attention. "Alright, we're resuming soon! Team Scarlet, you're up against Team Flower Heaven so Cirno and Letty get a break first!"

"Milady, we'll be going." Sakuya informs her mistress, then looks to the rest of her team. "Let's go."

I shoot a quick glance in Yuuka's direction... and quickly make my way out of the place. _I don't know how she's going to act after letting off steam against Letty, but it looks like this is going to be another exciting match. _

"And we're back everyone!" I note that the crowd has diminished a little, and some of the stalls have already closed due to being sold out. "We're going to start soon, and the match you're about to witness will determine which team takes the third place!"

I make hand signs to Shikieiki and Suika respectively, telling them to speed things up, and they nod affirmatively. The match begins quickly after a cursory introduction of the two teams and the draw to decide the hit limit, with both sides immediately going on the offensive at the sound of the drum.

It's clear that both teams already have strategies planned out; Sakuya and Meiling execute the shotgun trick right away, while Mima and- surprisingly, Tenshi- are taking the back role of preparing ammunition as Yuuka attacks alone.

"With a limit of four hits, it certainly is a good idea not to have the Celestial at the front. Right, Ikuto?" Aya asks me.

"Yes, but right now, I'm more concerned about what exactly are they trying to do."

Yuuka easily bobs and weaves through the random spray, before taking up a relaxed stance on top of a wall, casually tossing a clump of snow in each hand.

"At me, dogs. Show me your fangs."

"You asked for it!" Meiling accepts the challenge.

Their subsequent exchange occurs so fast I only catch some parts of it; Meiling blocking a roundhouse swing, then ducking when Yuuka uses her wrist to fling the snow in that hand, an impressive hand-to-foot switch by Meiling as a combined feint and counter, and a furious aerial exchange that culminates in both of them scoring a simultaneous hit on their opponent with their remaining handful of snow, before landing back down with each foot on a different wall a few meters away from each other.

_Man, that's what I call mastery. _"AMAZING! SIMPLY AMAZING! That, ladies and gentleman, is something you don't see in your ordinary snowball fight!" I turn my head to look at Aya. "Did you get pictures of that? Tell me you did."

"You bet I did!"

"That's one point for both sides!"

_Wait, I was so focused on those two that I forgot about the rest! _It takes me a few seconds to locate Sakuya. _Tenshi's finally playing it safe, and actually showing some teamwork by drawing Sakuya away from Mima._

"READY YET-?" Tenshi yells out, ducking behind a wall to avoid retaliatory shots.

"Just finished." Mima rises up and sends snowballs zipping towards Sakuya, who quickly breaks off and retreats back to where Koakuma is.

_Wait, what _WAS_ Koakuma doing? _I look in that direction to see the familiar taking an uncharacteristic position in front of Sakuya, her lips moving quickly. "She's... Spell Interference! This is an interesting turn of events!"

The nearby snowballs suddenly swerves upwards and back, and Mima's expression of shock is almost comical. But she recovers quickly, pulling back the rest before they enter Koakuma's field of influence.

"Meiling! Get rid of those!" Sakuya orders, lobbing a few shots high into the air.

"Understood!"

Meiling's red hair fans out around her as she hops back with a spin, throwing one arm out to release seven colored spikes at the snowballs, removing all but two of them. However, even that remainder is quickly eliminated, courtesy of two knives flung by Sakuya.

"Participant Mima has lost all her controlled snowballs! But she's not giving up, she's making more!"

"But won't the same result occur?" Byakuren asks.

"That remains to be seen!" Aya taps my arm. "Keep your eyes on the match, you two!"

I see Yuuka giving terse instructions to Tenshi, who doesn't seem to like what she hears, but accepts nonetheless. They move in forced concert, buying time for Mima to set up another piece of magic. However, their coordination pales in comparison to Sakuya and Meiling's; between their combination shotgun and Meiling's heavy bullets while Sakuya provides covering fire, Team Scarlet's two main members manage to land one hit each on the Celestial and the flower youkai.

"Ready. Spread." Mima's voice echoes eerily as she gestures.

"Participant Mima is doing something new! Just what is this spell she cooked up? It has her spellcaster opponent baffled!" Aya

Instantly, a large number of snowballs take to the air, and form a large ring above the field. Tenshi and Yuuka start attacking, preventing the other two from targeting the snowballs. From the look on Koakuma's face, not only is the spell out of her range, it's beyond her level.

_Game over? _I wonder to myself, just as Mima makes her move.

"Fall." The spirit swings a hand downwards in a chopping motion.

_Woah, that's like a hailstorm. Sakuya just got hit on the arm she used to protect her head. Meiling... is spinning around releasing rainbow Ki to block the shots. Wait, Sakuya's with Koakuma..._ My eyes widen with recognition when I see the maid manifest cards in her hand as she grabs the succubus with the other. _That's the first time she's using that move! _

Their figures vanish in an explosion of snow as the last few snowballs crash down into their position, but they immediately reappear right in the middle of the other team. Koakuma quickly throws the snow in her hand at Mima, and scores a hit.

"Winner: Team Flower Heaven!" Shikieiki announces to cheering, over Aya's explanation of what Sakuya did.

"Wait, what?" I look around. "But Koakuma scored a hit on Mima!"

"It was the Celestial. She hit the maid in the back, albeit unintentionally, when the snowball flew out of her hand when she turned." Aya explains.

"It was a tough battle, but Team Flower Heaven has emerged the winner, and thus take the third place!" Byakuren adds, smiling.

"Some might say this is an upset, but there is no denying the facts!" _Seems like they aren't used to dealing with teamwork; the same thing happened against Reimu and the others._ I muse.

I spare a few minutes for Aya to interview both teams. Koakuma blames herself for not being good enough, but Sakuya and Meiling comfort her by pointing out that Sakuya's carelessness was what lost them the match. On the other hand, Tenshi tries to hide it under her complaints that she didn't want to work with Yuuka, but she's clearly overjoyed at scoring the winning shot.

"And now, it is time... for the final match! Between the Strongest Team... and Team... Miko! Doll! Spark!"

"Woah, you're fired up!"

_Yeah, actually, I'm kind of tired after all the commentating, so I want to end it on a high note. _"Of course! Now... let's decide the hit limit... but the one to decide this time will be our judge!" I almost prance over to Shikieiki. "Draw, please. And it's a... ONE!"

"One hit each! Let's! Get! Started!" Aya steals my line, and I am forced to detour around the field as the final match begins.

* * *

><p>"Well, if I had to say one thing about that match, it is that it was anti-climatic." I say conversationally to Aya as we watch the small silhouette of Reimu dance around indoors with the bag filled with the prize money.<p>

"Yeah, who'd expect that all three of them get taken out within a minute? What did they win anyway?"

"Food vouchers, and a plaque for Cirno." _Man, she sure is happy despite coming in second place. _I rest my head on top of Suika's. "Haaa..."

_I must be REALLY tired if I'm not responding to the people around me. _Closing one eye, I look around at the other people in the hot spring pool with me. _At least they're covering themselves up well enough. _

Sanae didn't approve of it, but with Alice, Suika, Komachi, Byakuren, and Yuuka all wanting to drag me in, there wasn't much she could do. Not all of them chose to stay; Byakuren and Reisen are the only members of their respective groups who remained behind, while the fairy teams have already left. This is just a sort of close friends-only gathering.

"Marisa, take your hat off. Honestly, who wears a hat into a hot spring?" Alice scolds the witch.

"Whoops, sorry -ze." Marisa sets her large hat aside and undoes her braid.

"So..." Aya suddenly whips a notepad and a pen from under her hat. "Mind if I interview you about everything?"

_Wait, why is SHE wearing her hat here? _"I-" I suddenly yawn before I realize it. "Damn..."

"That's it. Once you get out, you're going back home and right to bed." On my other side, Keine is quick to act when she noticed me yawning.

"But Kei~ne~ There's a party after this~" I whine childishly.

"No buts. You already did a lot to plan all of this, that's enough already."

"You do know," Sakuya points out, "That that is also reason enough to stay and celebrate?"

"Izayoi-san, please stay out of this."

"Oh come on~ it's just a party, i'nnit?" Suika slurs, tilting her sake plate at Keine.

"Denied." Keine snaps, "I'm not going to let Ikuto drink himself sick when he's already-"

"He's strong enough," Yuuka interrupts, "Aren't you, Ikuto?" She looks at me, and I nearly look away in reflex.

"Of course I am. I'm not intending to drink much either. Okay, Keine?" I plead, attempting to make puppy eyes.

She relents. "Really, you're hopelessly childish sometimes, Ikuto."

"Yay~" I raise both hands up as though I'm drunk. _Yep, my sense of reservation's tied to my energy levels, so when I'm tired, I act kinda crazy. I need to actually _focus_ in order to be aware of anyone who's not in my line of sight. _"Thanks, Keine~"

I hug my wife in front of the others, eliciting reactions of shock and jealousy. Komachi and Suika glomp onto me as well, though Reisen, Mokou and Alice stay back. The others make sounds of various tones, but Byakuren's fascinated murmur stands out the most.

"Ikuto, this isn't a place for you to flirt. Please maintain a proper distance from members of the opposite sex." Shikieiki says crisply, and I obey out of reflex. "Good- Hyeek!"

Suika had her hands placed on the Yama's chest, and was squeezing them a little. "Flat."

Beneath that green head of hair, Shikieiki's skin reddens dangerously. "YOU ERO-ONI! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

The water explodes, and something hurtles over my head to land on the rock behind me.

"Are we gonna play? Come on then! I wanna have some fun too!" Suika calls through the misty spray, butt naked.

"I think it's better to get out..." I suggest to nobody in particular.

The last I see of the hot spring before going inside, nearly all of the original non-competitors are engaging in danmaku play... either covered only by a towel, or totally nude like Suika. Those who aren't participating just observe the fireworks from below, nonchalantly sipping sake. Others like me, depart for the common changing room.

_Time to join the others in the dining room. _I finish drying myself off. _That's Reimu, Sanae, Tenshi, Mima, Remilia and Meiling. _I leave the changing room once I'm dressed and make my way there, way ahead of the others.

I hear Meiling's voice before I even enter the room. "I'm so sorry, Milady..."

"Enough with the apologies. Just do better next time." came the reply.

"Next time...? You make it sound so easy to plan something like this, Remilia." I announce as I slide the door open.

"Finally saw enough?" Sanae snipes with a joking smile, but I just shrug.

"Well, well, look who's here." The vampire's red gaze fixes on me. "And what happened to 'Lady Remilia'?"

"Conservation of energy because I'm tired." I clear my throat slightly. "Is she still at it?" My eyes flicker in Reimu's direction.

"Apparently. Money isn't something she gets often." Remilia beckons to Meiling. "Fetch him a cup of tea."

I take my seat across from her. "Thanks," I accept the cup, and take a few sips. "How's Flandre?"

"Hoping that you'll come again soon. Or do I have to send Sakuya to get you again?" She asks, more relaxed than the last time we talke.

_Oh, hell no! _"Once is enough, thanks. I'll try to visit within the week, is that okay?"

Remilia nods. "That would be acceptable."

Nodding back, I turn my attention to Tenshi, who seems a little bored. "Hey. Enjoyed yourself?" I ask as Remilia starts chatting with Mima.

"A little." She admits.

_Huh, I thought she would act all tsundere and say she didn't. _"Then what are you making that face for? Cheer up, will ya?" I slap her back lightly.

"Auu~" She makes a weird sound. "No, it's just... what do you expect me to do with these?" Tenshi holds up the food and drink vouchers she won.

"Treat yourself to some earthly food, obviously. Of course, if you don't want them..." I reach out.

"I'll take them. But..." She fans herself with them. "Since I need someone else to go with, I suppose I'll be generous and let you come along."

I just grin at her. _Another tsundere, huh? This will be a start in getting her to open up a little. And hopefully help her mature._

"What?" She asks suspiciously.

"Nothing," I promptly reply, "I accept your goodwill."

Eventually the sounds of the battle outside come to an end as the others start trickling in. Reimu finally snaps out of her daze enough to help Sakuya warm up the leftovers received from the food stalls, and the dishes are set out for everyone. I get to my feet, and the chatter dies away as everyone else looks at me expectantly.

"First, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has helped make this event a success in some way, whether they're here or not." I see some nodding heads. "Security and commentators, and all those I can't recall off the top off my head. Thank you all." _Really, I owe Nitori a LOT._

"Second, I said it already, but congratulations to those who won." I incline my head towards Reimu with her bag of money, and Marisa with the two new magic books I wheedled out of Patchouli. "You put on quite a display for everyone, and it was impressive. Same goes for those who didn't really win, but did very well nonetheless." This time, I look at Reisen and Meiling in turn.

"Lastly, I suck at giving long speeches, so let's just say cheers and eat." I bend down and pick up my cup. "CHEERS!"

"**CHEERS-!**" Everyone else raises their cup or sake plate as well.

"Right, let's eat!"

It didn't become as boisterous like the previous one, but after all that excitement, the relaxed atmosphere is just right for me. Besides, the sense of having done a good job is satisfying enough. All in all, it feels damn great. Keine kept an eye on me to stop me from drinking any alcohol, though I snuck a few sips when Suika offered. I have no idea what I said when Aya interviewed me later, though. Hope it isn't anything bad.

* * *

><p>(1) In some animes, the cawing of a crow sounds like 'Aho~', which is 'fool' in Japanese.<p>

(2) Converted to digits, it's 763. Now switch it over to the Japanese reading for each counting number... Kudos to you if you understood Ikuto's meaning without reading this.

Man, that sure took a while. I haven't wrote such a long chapter for a while, but this one was quite hard initially because I somehow lacked the mood and inspiration to get things started. I mean, it's so different trying to DESCRIBE events from an observer's viewpoint without sounding too repetitive. Not to mention that school work is totally screwing up my free time. Thank goodness my muse of randomness kicked in recently. Unfortunately, there are a series of tests coming up soon, and I'm going to have to study.

Personally, there's not much I can say about Ikuto's actions. He's trying to remain as an observer, but some part of him was stirred up by what he witnessed. It's going to influence him in the near future, by which he'll be moving on to a different place. I'll probably ask people to guess where later, but why not ask it now?

So, where do you think Ikuto will be staying with next? XD There, I asked it.

Or would you be more interested in guessing who will be featured in the next X chapter?

...

Nah, kidding.

Anyway, please review! I know I might not have as much humor or insanity as compared to the Sasquatch or Etherdrone, but I'll keep doing my best.

Till next time, dudes!


	38. Chapter 37: Prospects & Conditions

"Found you..." A voice croaks above my head as I'm walking down the path.

"Woah!" I leap aside and shield my face with my arms as a strong wing causes snow flies up. "A-Aya?"

The tengu reporter looks totally drained; there are bags under her eyes, her hair is disheveled, her rumpled clothing has ink blotches over them, and even her standing posture is unsteady. All in all... the picture of someone who has been working an extremely stressful job without any sleep.

"What the heck happened to you?" I ask automatically before I spot the bulky bag she's carrying. _Oh, she was working on that._

"Nonstop, typing." Aya croaks, and pulls a newspaper out of the bag. "Here."

I take the copy of the Bunbunmaru from her. "Thanks. You should rest, you know."

She glares at me. "No way! I have a responsibility, to the readers of the Bunbunmaru!"

_You'd sound more convincing if you didn't look like one of the Three Fairies could take you out._ "Okay, okay. Just make sure to watch yourself, okay?"

With a nod, Aya blasts off to deliver the rest of her papers, and I continue on my journey, reading the newspaper as I walk. _Yep, front page article for me. Glad to see she took my suggestion of dividing things into sub-articles. Got to cut out the one of me with Suika and Komachi for keeping._

I can't keep the grin from forming on my face when I see the pictures on the next page. Some of them are extremely impressive, like the one capturing the expressions of Yuuka and Meiling with their hair flying during their furious battle, while the more comedic ones like Tenshi just before she got bulldozed, Tenshi as snow gets dumped down the back of her clothes, and Tenshi getting pasted in the face.

_I definitely got to show this to Iku._ I continue reading through, but it didn't look like there was anything else interesting enough to match it. _Pretty good for a one-tengu newspaper. Come to think of it, I haven't read what the other tengus wrote about the snowball tournament. Maybe I'll ask around the village when I get back. _I stow the newspaper in sling bag as I reach my destination, Myouren Temple.

"Good morning, Ikuto." Ichirin greets me as I step through the gates, Unzan watching me from above her head.

"Morning," I return the greeting, "You're looking good this morning. Both of you." _Wow, I've really changed if those words just slip off my tongue._

"Thank you. If you're looking for Nee-san, she's in the main hall."

"Thanks, Kumoi-san." I head in the direction she directs me in.

Before I even go another ten meters, I find my way barred by Murasa. "Don't bother Hijiri while she's in the middle of a ceremony." The ghost stops me.

"Sure, anywhere I can wait for her to be done?" I make the change smoothly.

Murasa raises one eyebrow. "I thought you'd be more stubborn than that."

_Flowing water mode... I'll alter my course, but I'll keep moving. _But of course I don't say that. "Do I look stupid?" I want to know.

A snort escapes her lips. "Actually, no. Come on, let me lead you to the dining room."

She seats me there and sends Nazrin to make some tea, before sitting across from me. We make some small talk, and I let her borrow the newspaper to read Aya's account of the tournament. There's a wistful look on her face as she scans through it, and I start having a few thoughts of 'what-ifs'.

I decide to confirm one of them. "Minamitsu-san, are you... stuck here?" I say it bluntly for the lack of a better way to put it.

"You could say that..." Her eyes have a distant look to them, as though recalling some depressing memory. "But as long as I have Hijiri and the others here with me, I don't mind it so much."

_Always in the same surroundings... at least she'll see various types of visitors. But somehow I think her fate might have been better if this place was a tour ship to Makai like in the alternate ending._

"What? I don't need your pity."

"Ah, no, that's not it. So what do you do here most of the time?" I attempt to change the subject, then wince when I realize my mistake. _Talk about rubbing salt into the wound._

But Murasa answers without hesitating. "Patrolling, cleaning, cooking, to name a few. What, did you think I just sit around all day long doing nothing?"

"No, of course not."

"Here's the tea." Nazrin's arrival saves me from further embarrassment. "Oh, there's a newspaper article about the tournament?"

"You want to read it? I'm done already." The ghost slides it over to her friend.

"Thanks, Murasa."

And so, Nazrin joins us at the table, and the atmosphere takes on a surprisingly casual air; we discuss all sorts of things, from food to the youkais around the area, we're almost like old friends with the way the talk just shuttles back and forth like... well, a shuttle on a loom.

_Yay for lame analogies. _The silly grin fades off my face when I hear a familiar voice. "Ah, sounds like she's done. Good morning, Hijiri-san." I greet Byakuren when she comes in through the door.

"Ikuto? When did you arrive?" She asks, surprised.

"Just a while back, actually."

"Hijiri-san, who came?" Shou, following after Byakuren, spots me over her shoulder. "Oh, hello there."

The tiger youkai puts her spear aside, and takes her seat after Byakuren does. I ask about the ceremony they were doing; it turns out to be just a normal Buddhist ceremony of worship. _Just how does the issue of faith function, I wonder... it's not like it can be quantified or explained. Well, thinking about it, I'm surprised that Kanako got the kappas' faith. _I sip my tea as I listen to the rest of them talk.

My mind goes off on a tangent, imagining Gensokyo as a sort of table-top board game where the main resource is faith, in a three-way fight between the 'nations' of Hakurei, Moriya, and Myouren. The game master would provide the players with 'incidents', and the players would have to satisfy the requirements to gain the rewards. Hakurei would have an extremely high power stat due to initial ambient faith, but have the downside of poor monetary income as well.

Before I can think up likewise conditions for the other two, a chance glance at Shou draws my attention to something... or the lack of something. "Nazrin."

The youkai in question looks at me. "Hm?"

"Do you need help searching?" I purposely ask in such a way so that Shou isn't embarrassed.

However, everyone else immediately looks at her, and Nazrin gives a long-suffering sigh. "Master..."

"I'm sorry! It's in the hall, I'll go get it right away!" Flustered, she gets to her feet and rushes out.

"I take it that happens a lot?"

"Not that often, but if anyone loses something, nine times out of ten it's her. And it's always the same thing. Probably because it's so much smaller than the spear she carries around." Murasa answers me.

"You mean this spear she carelessly left behind?" I point at the weapon she left in the corner. "Seems like she doesn't handle pressure well."

"What's got Shou in a hurry?" Ichirin inquires as she comes in, "No wait, don't tell me, she lost the pagoda again?"

Her question is answered by a simultaneous nod from everyone, including me.

"Of course it is."

"I can't find it! It's not where I left it!" Shou wails frantically as she comes back in. "Nazri~n!"

I get to my feet. "Need my help?" I offer.

Nazrin shakes her head. "Ah, no. I'll be fine, since it should still be around here. What did you come here to do anyway?"

"Oh right." I reach into my bag and take out the package I was assigned to deliver. "Here's the stuff you ordered." _Ceremonial items, no doubt._

"Would you like to stay for some tea?" Byakuren invites.

I chuckle. "I think I already did that. Come by the village to visit sometime."

"We will." Byakuren promises, and I leave.

After a bit of scenery enjoyment as I sprint back, my thoughts turn towards the earlier interactions. _Hmm, from that impression, I can get along pretty well with them. _I recently decided to source for who stay with next after Keine, but today's the first day I'm doing something active towards that purpose. _Nothing wrong with spending more time with my beloved wife. It's a bit lazy... but if Yukari's not around to assist, it also means that she's not around to mess up my life._

"Keine, I'm home~" I call out as I go through the door of the school.

She steps out of the kitchen. "Ikuto? I haven't started on lunch ye- Who are you?"

_What? _I point at myself. "What are you saying? It's me, Ikuto."

Keine gives me a suspicious look. "If this is some bad joke, please stop it. You don't look like-" Her expression changes to one of surprise as I feel the connection form in my chest. "Wait, it really IS you, Ikuto. Why do you look so different?"

"What do you mean, I look different?" I touch my face all over. "I didn't- waaaaaittt..." _There IS one possible reason for this occurrence, now that I think about it._

She waits patiently for me to finish my thoughts.

"I'm going back out again! Be back soon!" I dash out again, followed by the sound of Keine's amused laughter.

Returning to Myouren Temple to search around the grounds, I find the culprit soon enough; she's too busy snickering over Nazrin's inability to find the missing jeweled pagoda to realize that I'm sneaking up on her with the help of Wavebreaker, so she reacts too late when I swap out to Wire Performance and use the wires to grab her legs and yank them out from under her.

"KYA!" Before Nue Houjuu can fight back, more wires loop around her wrists and tie them together against the ground.

_Time to give this ability a try! _Following a whim, I swing my left hand in a figure-eight motion a few times, snapping my fingers repeatedly.

The day after the tournament, I found out that one of the darkened crystals on the ring had regained its bright color; it's not too hard to come to the conclusion that I 'recharge' one sword a day. But now I'm using all six charges at one go; six ice swords, all shaped differently, lock down her wrists and both separate legs by crossing over the three targets. I made sure to aim them carefully so that they are not only locked in deep, but the extremely sharp edges are able to cut if Nue struggles vigorously. Once Nue's disabled, I banish Wire Performance.

_Looks like I don't lose its permanent use even after using up all the charges, _I glance at the ring, _next I'll test out what happens if I leave it for more days than the maximum number it can hold._ I turn back to my captive.

She attempts an escape first, but flinches when she gets cut for her trouble. "Gyah! What are you doing, you stupid human!"

"I could ask you the same. What's the big idea, putting one of your Seeds of Non-identification on me?"

"Che! Found out already, huh?" Nue rolls her eyes. "I'll take it off, so let me go. This ground is _cold_, in case you haven't noticed." She complains.

I crouch down next to her. "Perhaps you didn't hear me. What's your reason for doing this?"

"I just wanted to- Gya! Wh-what are you trying to do, you lowly human!" She shrieks when I poke her cheek.

"Nyaha." Smirking, I start poking and pinching her soft cheeks as Nue squeals. _Man, I'm totally looking evil here... but it's fun. _"Alright, that's enough for your punishment."

"Haa... Haa... how... dare you..." She glares at me murderously.

"Oh, grow up. You win sometimes, you lose sometimes." I push the swords aside to free her limbs. "Here." I hold out my hand to her.

She slaps it away. "I don't need help from you." Nue sneers as she gets back up.

"Well, hurry up and take the Seed off."

"I was going to, but I don't think I will after all." She smirks at me. "**You mad?**"

_Woah, my brain momentarily converted that into a meme line. She was actually asking 'Are you going to get angry?'. Something makes me wonder if Yukari put that in when she did this translating trick. _"Let me guess... you're hiding the pagoda by putting a Seed on it too, right?"

"Oh-ho~ pretty smart, aren't you-" Nue suddenly stops, having been alerted to the person behind her by the presence of a hand on her shoulder. "Uh oh." She says in a small voice.

"Nue-chan..." The person who had been attracted by Nue's loud voice is now smiling ominously.

"No wonder I couldn't find it." Nazrin comments nearby. "It was right under my nose the entire time, I just didn't recognize it."

I'm torn between wanting to see just what will Byakuren do to Nue, but reasoning that this is something that should be settled among themselves, as well as there being a possibility that Nue might dislike me further if she thinks I'm there to gloat, makes me decide not to. Of course, I make sure to get the Seed removed from me before I leave.

_Can get along with them pretty well, _I think to myself again, _but being around Nue's a risk... _Clearly, there's still much to work out before I can consider Myouren Temple one of the places I can stay at next.

* * *

><p><em>"You really should have been there." I say to Iku as I watch the ceiling with my hands behind my head as support. "It was quite fun to watch."<em>

_"I am sorry that I missed experiencing all these for myself." She replies, in the middle of reading the newspaper for herself._

_I smile to myself, having heard the faint edge to her tone that indicates she's amused. _When your conversation partner isn't one to express her emotions on her face much, you have to come up with other ways to read her.

_"Where were you, anyway?"_

_"I have been... putting aside my duties to come here." Iku admits, "It had reached an extent that it was necessary for me to attend to them no matter what."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"There is no need for you to apologize. The choice was mine."_

_"I guess..."_

_"Just like it was her choice to work." Iku continues, "Without your encouraging her to."_

_The 'her' Iku is referring to can only be Komachi. Like she said, Komachi is actually doing her job without needing me to tell her to do so. My theory for this incredible turn of events is that Komachi isn't inherently lazy, but just acts that way in response to a monotonous work life._

_"I'm do~ne!" The person we were just discussing enters the room and flops down onto the floor with a declaration that has forced exhaustion in it._

Maybe my theory is wrong... _"Good work. Lap pillow?" I offer._

_"Ooh, really? Don't mind if I do!" Komachi shifts around and puts her head on my left thigh, using it as a pillow._

_"A closeness that friends do not have, yet not on the level of lovers." Iku comments, but when I look in her direction, her eyes are fixed on the newspaper._

Hm, is she jealous? I don't know her well enough to identify that emotion in her. _"Would you like to join in too?" I ask impulsively._

_There's a long moment of silence, enough to make me think she's going to accept. However, my expectation turns out to be wrong. "Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse."_

_"Okay. But the offer stays open-!" I blink. "What did you hit me for?" I ask Komachi, who has an irritated expression despite having her eyes closed._

_"I believe it is for being unable to read the mood." Iku answers my question in a mild tone of voice._

Oh._ "Sorry." I mutter, stroking Komachi's hair._

_"Fufu~" The shinigami purrs._

_Still, this event makes me ponder my relationship with these two in various ways; does Iku like me in the same way Komachi does, will I be risking our current relationship if I go for her, and what is the exact nature of my relationship with Komachi? I know we're supposed to be sex friends... but is that really what she thinks? Or am I the only one holding that opinion?_

Well, whatever... I'll just kill time here until it's time for me to go back. After all, this place is meant to be a place where I can cut loose and relax.

* * *

><p>"Nitori~" I call out as I approach the usual spot.<p>

It's been nearly a week since the tournament, and it's my second time visiting the kappa after I returned the borrowed items the day after the tournament. She blushed profusely when I recounted the words of those who experienced their use; seems like she's not too used to being complimented. She also gave me permission to use her first name because she felt it was too weird that only one of us was using surnames.

A small figure with blue hair and a huge green backpack shimmers into view under a tree. "H-Hello, Ikuto." Nitori greets me back.

"So, can I see the thing you made?"

Instantly, her timid demeanor vanishes, and she nods excitedly. "Sure! Come this way!"

The poor girl's still extremely shy, but just bring up her point of pride, and she gets totally fired up. Somehow that seems like a bad personality trait in the hard-and-fast modern world, with swindlers and what not, but here, the pure innocence is making me want to encourage and protect it.

_White knight personality, huh? _I follow her as she dives into the cold river, using Eternal Inheritance's dragon crystal to repel the water away from my body. It's no longer as cold as it was, but it's still an insane idea to wade into the icy waters. _Now I feel like I'm an RPG character that can only advance after unlocking a special ability._

I expected her workshop to be underwater, but when I asked Nitori about it before, she gave me an incredulous look that screamed 'Are you stupid?', which was a first, and pointed out that kappas might depend on water for survival, but they aren't fish. The actual lab is actually across the river, somewhere I wouldn't be able to get unless I walked a few kilometers downstream to where the river was shallow enough to cross, or flew, or had this dragon crystal. I emerge from the river on the other side, totally dry, and follow Nitori down a hatch hidden behind a tree.

"Woah, just how did you excavate a place this large?" I ask as I step off the ladder.

"One of the kappas from a long time ago invented an amazing digging tool that everyone still uses nowadays." Nitori coughs delicately. "With certain modifications."

_I wonder what sort of modifications were made... but something tells me it's not the sort of thing that's meant to be discussed so easily. _Whether that is because it's something only for kappas to know, or because it's an embarrassing issue, I have no idea. "So how do you power the place?"

"It used to be powered by the river turning the turbines, but I converted to using the underground reactor about a year ago."

_Oh yeah, the events of Subterranean Animism._ I think as I take a look around.

Nitori's workshop is at least half the size of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's entrance hall, which is still quite big nonetheless. The ceiling has a few small lights installed, but those are dark. The main and current source of illumination comes from large panels that line the top of the walls, making it as bright as a normal afternoon, not too glaring, but just enough to see every detail of whatever you might be working on. They look like fluorescent, but something tells me they aren't. I didn't see any infrared sensors around the place, but the lights came on the moment Nitori passed out of the ladder shaft.

But what draws my interest more are the pieces of machinery and equipment that fill the place; this place could be called an inventor's heaven, with all the tools, materials and half-finished stuff lying around waiting for someone who would put them to the use they were destined for. The layout is also quite well thought-out; the central area seems dedicated for small workings, while bigger pieces of machinery are placed closer to the walls, where there's additional machinery to lift up or turn them around for work to be done on whichever side the mechanic chooses. Of course, this type of supporting machinery isn't only restricted to the walls; there are conveyor belts, rails, all sorts of stuff to assist in the movement of heavy things. And then there are the doors.

"That looks big enough to fit a tank! Is it an elevator, or a door to a ramp?" I point to let Nitori know which one I'm referring to.

"That's an elevator." Nitori gives me a quizzical look. "Wait, how do you know the term elevator?"

I point at myself. "Outsider, remember? But your stuff is a lot better than anything I've ever seen." I indicate another, person-sized door. "What about that one?"

"That leads further underground. It's possible to access other kappas' labs from the general area." Nitori sets down her big green backpack and moves over to the nearby desk. "Here it is! Look at this!"

I approach to see what she's referring to. "So... what does this do?" _She didn't tell me what it was exactly last time._

The thing she's holding is rectangular in shape, with straps that look as though... _Is that meant for an arm? It's too small for me, but it'll be a perfect fit for Nitori's small arm. _It had a thin strip that stuck out of one end as well, that looked like it would reach right to the center of a palm.

Sure enough, she affixes it to underside of her right arm and beckons to me. "Here, let me demonstrate."

I hesitate about approaching her when I see the glint in her eyes, but force myself to step forward. Still, I'm taken by surprise when she suddenly delivers a very light slap to my chest, and I hear a soft click from the contraption, but nothing else happens. Nitori pulls it back and shows me how the part of the gadget near her wrist has opened up. A tiny flick of the wrist, and it closes silently.

_Woah, Assassin's Creed, hidden blade. _"Is it some kind of concealed weapon?"

"That's one of its possible customizations." Nitori concedes, removing the gadget and replacing it back on the table. "But it can be used to carry anything provided they are customized to work with this. Like this one, it's my favorite!" Her voice takes on an excited pitch the more she talks.

She grabs a cylinder and a small square disk nearby, pulls out a bunch of small tools, and begins working on the gadget. Less than a minute later, Nitori turns around to face me and proudly displays the result of her work... which looks no different to when I first saw it a while ago. But when she gives a demonstration again, this time on an extremely battered test dummy in an area that she apparently uses for testing her inventions, her add-on turns out to be a capture net that could be reeled back with a touch of a switch on the gadget itself.

"Wow, that's impressive." I applaud as she detaches the net and starts untangling the dummy from it. _Now I'm getting Batman vibes._

The sound of my clapping echoes around the large room, and Nitori suddenly fumbles. Even though I can't see any part of her skin, I'm absolutely sure she's flushing bright red right now. That's just so cute of her.

After showing me the other possible additions, she goes on to show me all sorts of stuff, most of which I have no idea how she comes up with, but are amazing in their own respective ways. The majority of what she has is mechanically inclined, but there are some electronics that require basic computer programming, which comes from another kappa whose forte lies in that area. Apparently, while most kappas are mechanically inclined like Nitori is, there are some that specialize in other fields; there are chemists, weavers, metalworkers, even farmers, since according to Nitori, eating fish and cucumbers all the time is tiring.

"But we do trade with the village for their produce sometimes. Here, look at this..."

_She's pretty serious about her work; I've been trying to steer the conversation around, but she always keeps coming back to her creations. _Then I realize something. "Say, where do you sleep and eat? I don't see any area around here that you can use for those."

Nitori leads me to one of the small doors and shows me the living area... which has been customized with a fold-out bed and something like an auto-cooker. "I usually forget to eat when I'm absorbed in something, so I set a timer on the cooker for a certain time beforehand, and it will ring a bell to tell me when the food is ready." She ducks her head slightly. "The food it makes isn't very good though..."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find some way to improve on it in the future." I reply consolingly. "What about that one?" I change the subject, seeing as she doesn't seem too comfortable discussing the matter of her life outside of her hobby.

As expected, she brightens up almost instantly. "Ah! That one! It's supposed to be like an exoskeleton, but I still haven't solved the problem of supplying the power..."

Much later, we're sitting at a table, its top cleared for the cups of tea I brewed, finally talking about something other than her inventions.

"Have you read the Bunbunmaru yet?" I pull the battered copy I got from Aya out of my bag and hand it to Nitori, but she shakes her head in refusal.

"I got a copy when Aya came by asking me to fix her typewriter after it broke down. The snowball tournament really sounded fun, from the way she spoke of it."

"Her writing's improved a little too. Though it's still not that objective." I shrug with a smile. "Well, considering that she was playing an active role, I don't think she could stay objective."

"Say, what exactly is the outside world like?" Nitori asks with hopeful curiosity.

"Let's see... you know the saying 'Necessity is the mother of invention'?" I wait for her to nod before continuing, "People can't fly, so they build planes..."

I go on to explain about all sorts of modern machines, most of which seem simple compared to what Nitori has. Similar to Youmu, she's extremely interested in the outside world, but mainly in the areas of technology. I don't really know much about how the latest electronics work, especially since it has been more than half a year already... I think. I forgot whether I've passed the half-year mark.

"But yeah, that's as much as I know." I conclude.

"Wow, that's amazing! I always wondered how those shikigamis you call 'computers' work! You have to share this knowledge with us!"

The one thing I noticed about kappas is that they prefer visible results, which explains why they might be extremely advanced in terms of mechanics, but behind the modern world in programming and the like. _Something along the lines of, if I do A, I'll get B. But if B isn't something that can be seen with the eyes... _I have a feeling that if their labs weren't situated underground, there would be a lot of explosions and stuff going on.

"Wait, what happened to that thing I gave you last time?" I ask suspiciously.

My jaw almost drops with the shock of seeing the GameCube in pieces, but I soon realize that not only are the disassembled parts arranged in order, but there are notes around the place analyzing and theorizing their importance and roles within the complete item, which has been neatly sketched out in its entirety on a large sheet of paper on facing wall. In contrast, Nitori's handwriting looks rather untidy, but I can read it well enough.

"Could you explain to me how this works?" Nitori asks eagerly. "I figured out that you put something in the part that goes on top for the tiny laser to be scan it, but I have no idea what the rest is for."

I read the note at the other end of the arrow that points to the disc reader. _Laser is not strong enough to effect physical changes. Other possible uses... She's thought things through quite well, but not that I think about it, I didn't see any construction plans. Does she work it all out in her head?_

"Ikuto?"

"Huh? Oh yeah... I'm not too sure on how everything here works, but this thing here is something called a game system. Except that it requires other things before it can be put to its full use."

"Where can I get them?" Nitori immediately blurts out, then covers her mouth. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so demanding, but I-"

I hold up a hand to stop her. "It's fine, it's fine. It's okay to be curious." _I'm speaking to her like she's a kid even though she's probably older than me._

I'm halfway through half-talking, half-bullshitting about processors and memory storage before I realize the time. Making my excuses to Nitori, I quickly climb back up the ladder to emerge into a winter's late afternoon, and still darkening.

As I set off back towards the village, my thoughts are focused on Nitori, and the kappa race. It doesn't seem like they do REALLY big projects, possibly for the same reason their programming skills aren't as advanced. _A mentality that expects results quickly, perhaps? As for why there hasn't been much advancements in their programming despite outsiders coming in... Oh, of course._

I pull out my key and manifest Phantom Blossom. "It's because normal humans don't have the capabilities to make it all the way out here alive..." I answer the question out loud.

_Guess that means I'm not normal anymore. _I think as I charge forward, heading for the youkais that stand in my way. _Well, I guess I can consider Nitori as a possible candidate for someone to stay with too, but I need to get to know her more before I can even consider asking. But what is this feeling? _I wonder, slicing right through them repeatedly without stopping. _Something seems... off. _I continue my run back home, trying to figure my heart out.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, please have mercy on my empty wallet, Yuyuko-sama." I actually go down onto my hands and knees.<p>

"Hmm~ What are you sorry for~?"

"I'm deeply sorry for excluding you from the snowball tournament!" I touch my head to the floor of the restaurant.

To be honest, I was somewhat expecting this; from the time I spent with Yuyuko, I knew she was the time to hate being left out of stuff, and with Aya writing about the thing in the Bunbunmaru, it was only a matter of time before she came to confront me over it. But the reality of having my initially fat wallet eaten down to nothing is harsher than I thought it would be; it's already the sixth restaurant we've been to, and my calculations have put the current cost of this one leaving me with only a few coins. Good thing I settled all my debts before this.

Nearby, Youmu is probably giving me a pitying look. _But you can't go against Yuyuko, can you? _

"Hmm~ Should I~?"

"Please! I beg for your forgiveness!"

"Okay! You're forgiven!"

_Thank god._

"After you treat me to another plate of this."

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..._

Youmu steps in. "Yuyuko-sama."

"Yes, Youmu?"

"Haven't you had enough already?"

"Ehh~" Yuyuko whines, "But there's so many shops I haven't been to yet!"

Instead of a facepalm, I do a faceground. _So it turned into a gourmet trip for her! Is she gonna draw this out so she can eat all she likes?_

"Yuyuko-sama..." Youmu's voice hardens slightly.

"Okay..." But she sounds extremely unsatisfied.

I settle the bill and leave with the two of them in tow. As we talk, I find out that Youmu was the one responsible for Yuyuko finding about it late, having concealed the newspaper that Aya delivered. It was only a fluke that Yuyuko came across it while puttering around, though I wonder if Yuyuko knew already. It's hard to tell with her.

"Small bone~ Small bone~"

_Just what song is that? _"Yuyuko, just what is that song?" I can't resist asking.

She gives me a look of surprise. "Oh, you don't like it? How about this? Pretty flowers~ Pretty flowers~ Flowers in both hands~"

_FACEPALM!_

"Have you been training lately?" Youmu asks me from my right.

_Gurk... this is embarrassing. _"Umm... I have been keeping up with my fitness, but..."

"Would you like to spar sometime?" She invites.

"That would be good." _I need to check the level of my abilities. This might be a good wakeup call._

"Then let's do it a week from now."

"Sure!" _Gotta train up for that._

I walk them to the outskirts of the village, where Yuyuko kisses my cheek and pushes her gardener into doing the same, before they fly off to return back to Hakugyokurou.

_I hardly interact with them nowadays... unlike back then when I used to see them every day. At least I get to see Eirin and the rest whenever I want even after I left Eientei. _I check the weather. _Almost time; I rather not make them wait any longer._

I recently made arrangements to visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion, mainly to satisfy Remilia's demand that I do so. But I also want to examine whether the place is suited for me to stay there, or will I be risking my life? My initial plan was to stay there after another place, but that doesn't mean I can't scout out the place first.

As I'm crossing the bridge, I spot Cirno having a snowball fight with the Three Fairies as Letty watches on, a good distance away from where I am, but decide to stay out of it. Or...

_Maybe not... _I gather snow and mold three snowballs, placing it on the wall of the bridge. _This should work, since Wavebreaker Form Two seems to be able to modify the nature of its shots._ I assemble the rifle, and take up the appropriate position. _This reminds me of playing pool. Line up the end with the ball and the target... let's see, first one definitely has to be Star. Modifying power level for propulsion..._

I ensure that I'm locked onto Star's head, and wait for her to reveal herself from behind her snow fort. "Shoot!" I whisper.

"Ugyah!" I hear her faint yelp from where I am, and she sways around in a weird pose on one leg before collapsing.

"Star?" Her friends notice right away, but they haven't realized the cause yet.

_Next, Sunny. Before she can hide herself with her light control. Target, lock. _"Shoot."

"Wahyah!" The sunlight fairy takes the hit squarely in her face and flies off her feet to crash into the snow fort behind her.

"Eh? Eh? What's going on?" Luna, the only one left, turns to Cirno. "What did you-"

"Shoot."

"-gyafuh!" With that, all three fairies are down, and Cirno is left confused as to the reason why.

_Oh yeah~ _I disassemble the weapon and put away the key. _Okay, now that that's over, I better get back on track. _

Meiling seems asleep from afar, but when I get within ten meters of her, she immediately wakes up. "Who goes there?" She demands sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"It's me. You know, me." (1) _Huh, she wakes up only when I get this close? Quite different from when it's Marisa. Is it because I'm walking? Or..._

She stops rubbing her eyes to peek at me. "Oh, it's you, Ikuto. Go on in."

I walk past her. "Thanks." _I have to get her to teach me how to sense people like that. But I suppose that can wait until later._

The door opens before I step onto the bottom step, revealing Sakuya, who clearly has been waiting for me. "Good afternoon, Ikuto."

"Afternoon..."

"Please follow me. I will show you to where Milady is."

She leads me to a sitting room, where Remilia is standing by the window looking out at the snow-covered garden. But before I can say anything, a small figure suddenly dashes towards me from a shadowy corner, jumping right for me.

"Onii-chan!" Flandre's arms are outstretched as she dives towards me.

I react automatically, grabbing her by the wrists from the outside of her arms and swinging her around to bleed off the momentum. It takes two full spins before I judge it safe enough to slow down enough to put her back down on the ground.

"Hi Flan." I let go of her hands and bop her on the head lightly. "It's rude to jump like that."

Rather than reacting with childish outrage, she covers her head and whines like a dog begging for forgiveness. "Auuu..."

"Come on." I pull her over to an empty armchair and sit down, before taking a knife to cut my finger. "Here you go, Flan." I stick my bleeding finger into the loli vampire's mouth, and let her suck on it.

"You seem to have my little sister wrapped around your finger, Ikuto." Remilia, sitting in an armchair opposite me, comments. "In more ways than one."

"Better than me being splattered over her." I retort without thinking, then quickly slap my free hand over my mouth. "Um... could you pretend you didn't hear that?" I remove my hand to say weakly. _Guess the impact of seeing Flan jump at me with that wide smile affected me more than I thought._

"..." Remilia closes one eye and looks at me with the other, acting the bored, yet threatening lady of the mansion. "I see you know of her... eccentricities."

_That's one way of putting it._ "Yes, Lady Remilia."

"You learned it from the human known as Hieda no Akyu?"

_That and latent Touhou knowledge._ I nod, pulling my finger out of Flan's mouth. "Okay, that's enough, Flan. No, don't give me that look. Too much at a time isn't good for you. Here," I pull her onto my lap, and bouncing her up and down. "Upsy-daisy!"

"Ahaha!" Pure innocent laughter fills the room.

Both Sakuya and Remilia are smiling as they watch Flan enjoy herself, and even I find myself getting pulled along by it. Enough to forget that I'm bouncing an unstable walking weapon of destruction on my knees.

_And then I had to go and think that. _I stop and start patting Flan's head. "Good girl, Flan."

"Really? Waaai!" She twists around...

_Oh shit!_ I grab hold of the key in my pocket and call out Festival Horn, just as Flan embraces me really hard. _Even with this... it hurts... shit, cold too... _"Flan..." I keep my voice tightly controlled. "You're squeezing too hard."

She immediately releases her hold on me. "Ah, sorry, Onii-chan!"

I pat her head again. "It's okay, just be careful, okay?"

Flan grins at me toothily. "Okay!"

Remilia picks that moment to interrupt. "Flan. Could you leave us alone for a while? I wish to talk to Ikuto in private."

Flan seems reluctant, but with Sakuya chivying her along, she has no choice but to leave. Now only Remilia and I are in this sitting room, watching each other over a small tea table. Her expression is quietly thoughtful, but mine is probably a mix of cautiousness and respect that any predator should be faced with.

_Doesn't help that my danger sense is screaming. _I wait for her to speak first. _After all, that's normal politeness, right?_

"I can tell you have a request to ask of me. Speak."

I switch over to Blaze Revive to fix my injury. "Request... I don't think it can be called that. But hear me out."

Unlike the previous candidates, this isn't one I can hide my purpose from. I tell her about how I was thinking of moving on to a new place after Keine's, but wasn't sure about who to stay with. She asks, and I tell her who the other candidates are. Throughout the entire conversation, Remilia doesn't let on what she's thinking, despite my attempts to read her facial expressions.

"Ho... Following the will of that gap hag, I see."

_Hey, that actually raises a good point. Why am I following Yukari's plan? _The answer comes to me nearly instantly. "It's a great way to experience more of Gensokyo, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose with your short lifespan, you have to make every moment count." Remilia says snidely.

I tilt my head and return her mocking smile with a meaningless one of my own. "I would say it makes life worth living."

Remilia doesn't say anything, but I get a slight feeling that she concedes to my opinion. In the end, she dismisses me from her presence while she 'thinks about it'.

_Just to be safe, let's try convincing Patchouli to join my side. Just in case. _I add again mentally. _Let's see... this is the second floor, so the best way to the library is through the first floor entrance._

I manage to make my way there without being molested by any of the fairy maids, though they did give me some wary glances before returning to their work. It's easy enough to spot Patchouli's location by the extra touch of brightness as I'm descending the spiral staircase, and navigating in that general direction. This time, I take great care to check my surroundings for Koakuma.

"Ikuto. What are you hesitating there for?" Patchouli calls out to me

"Hi there." Stepping out, I greet the sorceress and librarian of this Great Library. "How ya doin'?"

One purple eyebrow lifts. "I confess that I'm deeply curious as to why you choose to address me with such brogue."

"Just my way to adding some levity to the situation." I reply gaily, approaching closer. "So..."

"You wish for me to speak to Remi." The way she puts it isn't a question, but a statement of fact.

"Yes- wait, how'd you know?"

"I have my sources." Her eyes drop back down to her book.

_Probably some listening spell. Who knows? _"Well, yeah, so..."

"I will lend my help." Patchouli speaks without looking up.

"Really?"

"When you've recovered my books from that witch."

_Knew it would be that. Good thing I didn't get my hopes up. _"Ah, that... It's just a matter of timing, isn't it?"

Patchouli closes her eyes. "The sooner the better, if possible. My part in it has been done. All that's left is yours."

"Aye aye."

There's a moment of silence, after which she opens her eyes and notice that I'm still standing there. "Is there something else?"

"Is it possible for me to learn magic?" I ask bluntly.

Patchouli blinks, but she doesn't seem too surprised. "Have you shown any expertise?" She asks, almost clinically.

_Temperature regulation, a bit of Alice's thread control magic, though I haven't really used the latter much outside of serving as a radar. _I fill her in on that information, and she responds by nodding, though the sigh that comes with it doesn't sound reassuring. "I can't fly, though." I conclude.

"Clearly you can use it to some extent, but I doubt you will be able to reach even the level of an apprentice."

I shrug. "Figures. Is it because I don't have any inherent magic, and am only using the ambient magic around me?" I throw that idea off the top of my head.

"Exactly. The store of magic you say you have inside yourself is nothing more than a miniscule amount that diffuses into you from your surroundings. But you already knew that, it appears."

"Actually no. I guessed." I confess.

This time, both eyebrows go up. "That 'guess', as you call it, isn't something that anybody can make without the relevant information."

"Okay, fine." I throw my hands up in mock defeat. "I admit, I did think about it a little. But anyway, you said I can use some magic. So that means you can teach me?"

Patchouli trades her book for another, focusing on the new tome. "You'd have to stay here."

Her tone makes it clear enough: If I don't get her books back from Marisa, I can forget about learning magic from her. Recognizing the futility of trying to persuade her any further, I take my leave. As I retrace my steps back to the spiral staircase, I notice Koakuma hurry out from another bookshelf, casting an apologetic look at me; it appears that I wasn't the only one trying to avoid an inadvertent collision.

Seeing as Remilia was still 'considering' my request, I head outside to pose Meiling a similar question to the one I asked Patchouli.

"You want _ME_ to teach you how to use Ki?" The gate guard points at herself as she asks incredulously.

"Is it possible?"

"Well... anyone can learn its use, but it'll take a while." Meiling doesn't sound too sure of herself, as she rubs her chin thoughtfully while her other arm is propped under her...

_Look away from there, you idiot._ I remind myself._ Hmm, so it's a matter of time, huh? That doesn't sound good. _"Alright. But martial arts, you can teach me that, right?"

She raises her index finger, like a teacher explaining a concept to a student. "As long as it doesn't disrupt my duties, yes."

"That's good enough, thanks."

Meiling stops me just as I'm about to leave. "Wait, why do you want to learn from me?"

"Because..." I stop mid-answer. _I admire the power that everyone else has but I don't?_ "I'm not too sure myself..."

"I see." She turns away from me. "Tell me when you do know."

_Huh, the atmosphere suddenly got a lot heavier... just what did I do to piss her off? And just what is my reason? I feel like I'm forgetting something important..._

Like when I entered earlier, Sakuya is waiting near the door to lead me to where Remilia is waiting. The answer I get actually makes me step back in shock, and I barely keep myself from stuttering as I give my acknowledgement and leave the Mansion. Still, I can hear her words ringing in my mind.

"My condition for your staying is simple. You will cede that key of yours to me for the length of your stay here."

The question is, can I really afford to do that?

* * *

><p>With my visit to the Scarlet Devil Mansion only yesterday, the memory is still weighing heavily on my mind when I decide to go pay a visit to Reimu. <em>It looks like I really should rule that place out; forget about the place after the next... I might put it as the last place on the list. At least I will have seen the rest of Gensokyo before Flandre 'accidentally' kills me.<em> I tuck my hands into my pockets as I head for the gate.

"Oh what a surprise! Would you accept my invitation to have some tea at my place?"

I don't realize what the falsely cheerful voice said until my feet are far off the ground, courtesy of the person who's carrying me by the back of my collar. _That voice sounded familiar... who would do- Oh, _HER_. _I cross my arms in useless defiance as Yuuka brings me back to a small cottage where her field of sunflowers should be. _Guess she doesn't want to make them grow until it's spring- Oh wait, there are a few there._

"So what's all this about, Yuuka-san?" I ask as she drops me off none too gently in front of her place.

"I thought you promised to come visit me." The sadistic flower youkai lies through her teeth, poking me in the chest with her parasol hard enough to make me wince. "I suppose you forgot, just like how you're forgetting to address me without any honorifics."

_Yes, and your poking is meant to help me jog my memory. _"Oh yeah, I did." I play along. "So, shouldn't you invite me in?" _Let's play, then._

It reminds me of the times I used to engage in verbal battles with Eirin over mealtimes, the way Yuuka and I are making up stuff in order to irritate each other. Of course, another similarity between the two cases is that I'm losing.

"So," I grunt, "How does, this, feel!" I grind my elbow down hard.

Below me, Yuuka moans with pleasure, turning the head she's resting on her arms around to give me a look of approval. "Mm, that's nice. A bit harder, if you would."

_Goddammit! I'm practically using all my strength giving her this back massage already! A normal person would have a broken bone at least! _"Okay then, let me try something else..."

I wonder what Aya would think of this scene; I'm doing one-armed fist pushups on Yuuka with my fist, focusing most of the weight through my knuckles and around her left shoulder blade where anyone should be extremely sensitive. And yet all she does is chuckle like I'm tickling her with a feather.

"The other side, please."

"Got it." I growl, and switch to my left, moving around to her other side to comply with her wish. _Should I give her a jab with Burst Needle? Brr, rather not experience what happens if I fail._

Ten minutes later, I'm flat on my back wheezing as she leisurely sips from a cup of tea. Just how did I get pulled along in her pace... after I finished massaging her back, her arms and her legs (I was tempted to grope her breasts as revenge, but that's like asking to get a Double Spark down my throat and up my ass), she went and did the same for me... and rather painfully.

"Can we stop it with the games already?" I ask after getting my breath back. _Hey, actually I feel pretty loosened up now..._ "Just what did you want me for?"

"Why, can't I invite a friend over for some tea?"

I grimace. _Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. Why does she have to be so aggravating? _"You, a powerful flower youkai who has lived for so long, considering me, a normal human whose powers are merely borrowed, a friend?"

Yuuka puts her cup down. "Can't I?" She responds with a smirk.

"I'm just saying it sounds too good to be true."

"So suspicious of others..."

_It was written as such in the Gensokyo Chronicles! _"I thought powerful youkais like you aren't interested in the average human."

"But an average human wouldn't have your powers." She easily counters my argument.

_Ah, screw it. _"Alright, fine. Whatever. Just spit it out already."

"Spit what out?" She asks innocently.

"GAAAAAAAH!" Flopping over onto my front, I thump my head against the tatami flooring repeatedly, as she chuckles.

"You really are interesting!" Yuuka laughs.

I force myself to turn over again, so I can glare at her without turning my head too much. "Just what- no, shortening that, WHY ME?"

Before I register what happened, she's suddenly straddling my body, with her face very close to mine. "Because," Yuuka whispers, her breath smelling like some flower I don't know, "You don't have fear in you. I like that."

"Surely there are other people who don't fear you." I point out. _Oh shit... I have no energy to mount a proper resistance or an escape..._

"Of course there are. I mean, were." Yuuka amends her words. "They're dead because they were also too crazy not to."

"I suppose I'm going to join that list, aren't I?" I ask clinically.

"Not if you stay on my good side."

_Of all people whose interest I could have drawn... it's the one who not only can, but might kill me the moment I make a wrong move. Maybe I should ask Satori what exactly happened to my fear the next time I see her. _"So... would you please get off me? It's not that I don't mind having a beautiful lady on top of me-"

"Then there's nothing wrong, is there?" She interrupts, smiling sadistically down at me.

I would have facepalmed if my body had been listening to me. "No, that's not what I'm trying to say. Look, could you just get off? Please?"

"Since you asked so nicely." Yuuka shifts her body off me, and I force myself to sit up.

"So, just what exactly do you want from me?" I ask, thinking to myself about how I must NEVER encounter Yuuka when I'm tired, or else I'll mouth off at her and get Master Spark-ed.

She turns her head aside bashfully, fluttering her eyelashes. "Don't make a girl say something like that, geez..."

I stare at that for maybe two seconds, then repeatedly smash my forehead down into my upraised knee hard enough to see stars. _WHY ME? WHY ME? WHY ME?_

It's so obvious she's doing all this just to troll me, and succeeding rather brilliantly, too. Part of me wants to hit her for it, but a logical part of myself holds me back from taking the path that will trigger the death flag, which instead dooms me to more trolling by the sadist of Gensokyo, Yuuka Kazami. But bit by bit, she drops enough hints to keep me hooked long enough until I finally piece her real intention together.

"Assist you in spring gardening, you say. Are you seriously inviting me to stay with you?" _Day in, day out, nonstop trolling, on top of being made to do all sorts of chores she can do without me in the first place. I'll probably kill myself before a week... or run away._

"Doesn't that sound like a _marvelous _idea?" Yuuka fake-gushes.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time, I smack my face with my palm. _I think I've left an imprint already._ "Can I think about it at least... it's too early for me to decide something like this."

"Certainly... I'm sure you'll see the benefits of accepting my invitation once you've thought about it a little." It's amazing how that smile can look angelic and demonic at the same time.

It seems like she's finally letting me go, possibly because she had enough fun out of me from now? Whatever the case, I beat it out of there as fast as I can. Behind me, I can hear her giggles turn to chuckles, gradually increasing in volume until it becomes full-out laughter.

_Three prospects and one actual invitation... come to think of it, this is the first time anyone's ever invited me... but I REALLY don't want to stay with Yuuka for some reason. Oh well, _I shrug, and wince as my muscles protest that motion, _I still have time, right?_

* * *

><p>(1) An oft-used line by scammers posing as an 'injured' family member of the person they're calling, asking for money to be wired to a specific bank account.<p>

So here's another chapter, this time showing Ikuto going around checking out prospective places to stay at next. However, without Yukari's 'assistance', that list of prospects is VERY short. Won't be pulling off the move anytime soon, but feel free to start guessing where he'll go next. Of course, I won't be revealing this one before the actual reveal.

For someone who puts a lot of emphasis on writing randomly, I rewrote various parts of this chapter quite a few times. I had a serious illness lasting for nearly a week, and even now, I'm not entirely recovered; it's weird how surreal my own story looks when I'm reading it while half-stoned with meds and fever, with part of my mind saying 'This is okay' while another part said 'Nah, this could use some more'. But whichever I went with, I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to judge the quality, so I just went with whatever felt right. Even now, I'm still not entirely sure about my writing- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT. See? Stoned, I tell you.

Plus my exams are coming up again... Going to have to take time off from this story to focus on it. Although to be honest, I first started writing this story as a way to let off stress from cramming for the exams last semester, so maybe I might end up getting a burst of inspiration instead. But then again, my initial chapters were short in length, so even if I do, the update speed won't be as fast as the ones I initially started with.


	39. Chapter 38: Battle for Books!

It is a fine winter morning, and I'm at Kourindou with Kirisame Marisa, proposing what might be my craziest plan ever after hearing her talk about her magic skill set.

"So, how about it? Let's go blow the place down!" I challenge Marisa.

"Mmm... but I can just go in anytime I want -ze."

I grin at the witch. "I knew you'd say that, so I'm going to call my favor in. You gotta do what I tell you to do, right?"

"Che." She grimaces at the reminder, but the expression on her face turns into a grin soon enough. "Fine then! Let's do it!"

I ride pillion as she flies us to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and we're admitted so quickly that even Marisa is amazed. Under Meiling's directions, we fly straight to the library, where Remilia and Patchouli are waiting.

"So what is this the event you're planning, Ikuto?" Remilia asks, clearly interested but trying to hide it.

I nod. "Yep! A team battle between our team and yours, with books on the line!"

"Hey wait, I never heard about that one!" Marisa protests, but I place a restraining hand on her shoulder.

I quickly outline the rules: both sides will have five members, and the battle mode will involve one-on-one battles over three hours. Of course, the part that Marisa isn't too happy about is the matter of having to return her 'borrowed' books. But I manage to placate her enough by pointing out that that's only if she loses.

"It's a betting system. You win the number of books you bet, with a minimum bet of five books." I explain.

"I hardly see how single battles are going to be interesting." Patchouli comments.

"I was going to come to that."

The defenders will be carrying special pendants that will each give a random number from one to five when removed, and they can only be removed after the wearer is defeated. The objective of the either team is to obtain a total of eight points.

"So in a worst case scenario, our team will have to fight at least four of your team." I grin, and raise a finger. "And in another worst case scenario, two losses on our side will mean our defeat."

"But with the battleground being here, it's possible for our team to just keep running around until the time limit is up, or run away so that someone else can fight for one of us." Patchouli points out.

"That's exactly what I had in mind. A battle starts when either side deals the first blow."

Besides avoiding a battle by not getting hit, it's possible for a battle to end if either side runs away, which is why there is an additional rule that each participant can only flee a battle once. In case a participant happens across a currently occurring battle, they are allowed to stay, but they are forbidden from participating in the battle.

_She didn't miss the advantage of that, I see. _I think when I notice Patchouli's expression flicker. _Having more than one angle on a battle is good, and you can pull off a sneak attack by suddenly fleeing while your partner starts a new battle._

"We won't be able to play full danmaku fights like this, so battles will be just that, battles. Any questions?"

Remilia considers everything I've said for a while. "It appears you've thought up quite an interesting event. I have no questions."

I bow. "Then we'll be leaving to gather members. I'll present our lineup an hour from now. Come on, Marisa."

Patchouli nods in acknowledgement. "We'll have the pendants prepared by then."

The witch immediately bombards me with questions the moment we take to the air to fly out of there. "Hey, you've got a plan, right?"

I smirk, even though she can't see it. "You bet I do. Head for Eientei first."

"Got it!"

I direct Marisa to fly to two other places after Eientei, and soon we have everyone I thought of. The final lineup of members for the attacking team consists of Marisa, me, Tenshi, Mokou, and Cirno. Already there are some looks of suspicion and hostility crossing in front of me, but I clap loudly to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, let's make this quick. All of you already know and accepted to play in this battle game, so I'm going to explain the rules and my plan quickly."

I explain my predictions; there is no doubt that the five team members on the opposing side are Meiling, Sakuya, Patchouli, Flandre, and Remilia. Apart from Marisa and Tenshi, the rest of us are suited to one person in particular, and that is the basis of my plan. I also explain to the smarter ones about how to abuse the one-on-one battle rule, and match my team up into groups for that purpose. Lastly, I warn them all on who to avoid.

"So to recap, if any of you three come across this small girl with blond hair, RUN." I look at each of them in turn to ensure that they understood my instructions, and nod. "Good. Just keep all that in mind, and try to win!" I pump my fist.

The responding cheer didn't sound very convincing, but I choose to ignore that. _Hope this works._

* * *

><p>As expected, Remilia's lineup consist of the same five I predicted she would pick, and she seemed put off by the fact that I didn't bat an eyelid when she proposed Flan as one of her members. <em>I just hope Flan doesn't get TOO carried away...<em> I muse as I collect the pendants from Patchouli and return with Marisa to where the others are at the land end of the bridge, leaving the six books that Marisa put up as collateral behind.

I speak once the rest have put their pendants on. "Right, we start when the bell rings, that's about five minutes away, so let's get ready."

Marisa nods, and sets to work preparing her spells. I confirmed this part with her back at the beginning, so I can just leave it to her. The other three form a line, with Mokou leading while Cirno rides on one of Tenshi's keystones at the back.

"You better not fall off, because I'm not going back for you." Tenshi says over her shoulder snidely.

Cirno snorts. "Aye'm not going to. Who do you think you're talking to?"

I tap them both on the head with Future Gazer. "Shut it, you two. Stay focused."

"Nothing for me?" Mokou asks wryly, posed like a long-distance runner about to take off.

I sigh, and crouch down next to her. "First off, I'm sorry." I hug her tightly around the neck. "I'll make it up to you later."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" She asks suspiciously.

"Yes. That's why I'm apologizing in advance." I peck her on the cheek and move away. "Hang in there."

"Wait, what aren't you telling-"

The bell picks that moment to ring. _Guess my luck does shine through sometimes. _"I'll be going first!" I yell, and sprint forward.

_Damn, this is one long distance... _But I spot Meiling standing up ahead at the gate, ready for me. _Here goes!_

"I'll be your opponent!" Shouting, I close in on her.

"Challenge accepted!" Her posture tenses up as she waits for me to get within her range.

_Hope I'm not screwing myself by not using Phantom Blossom, but I do need to train myself more._ I start off with a diagonal downward slash to test the waters. "Hh!"

Meiling reacts by dodging backwards with a light skip, and countering with a thrusting punch.

I reverse the direction of my swing as well as instantly reversing the grip of my weapon, and catch her arm with an upward slash.

"Woah!" She pulls back right away, and watches me cautiously. "How did you do that? I didn't even see you turn the thing around."

Holding Future Gazer up in a reverse grip still, I edge closer. "You'll figure it out soon enough."

With that, I spring forward and throw a horizontal slash at her throat. She ducks down to avoid it, but I alter the direction of my swing to turn it into a stab. She avoids it with a fluid movement to the left that brings her back up, and I throw a left jab out towards her face.

"Hah!" Meiling stops it with a palm, and immediately switches over to offense with a punch from her other arm.

It smacks to a halt against Future Gazer's shaft, and I can see understanding fill her face. _Man, I felt that even though I'm not blocking it with my arm._

"So that's it. You can change it instantaneously."

"That's right."

As we talk, our legs are moving furiously; she attempts a low kick, but I stop it before it fully starts by jamming my foot just below the knee. Similarly, I try to hook her other leg, but she adopts the horse stance, and I can tell that it's too tough for me to break with my force. But when I switch my weight over to kick her on the inner thigh, she immediately brings the targeted leg out of range.

"Hgh!" I push away, barely avoiding the roundhouse kick that was aimed at my left side.

Before I can recover, Meiling presses the attack with a jump kick that I am unable to dodge in time. Instead, I catch it directly with my Keyblade, jumping back to reduce the force.

"HYAH!" Using both hands, I twist my weapon around, throwing her body into a spin.

I can feel the pressure increase slightly, as she pushes off with the connecting foot to jump back to land firmly on her feet, her red hair twirling beautifully as she moves. Using the momentum of my earlier action, I dash in again, going for the attack with a spinning cut. But as I'm making the turn, I relax my legs and let gravity take my body down to the ground, targeting her legs with that attack.

She dodges it by jumping up, and my eyes follow to see her bring her left leg up for a heel kick. _HIT THE GROUND! _There's a metallic clang as Future Gazer clashes against the bridge, and I use the rebound momentum to direct the force of my swing upwards.

Of course, my feet aren't firmly planted on the ground, so instead of meeting her attack head-on, what I do instead is redirect it to the side of me, before twisting my weapon once more to inflict a light slash on her side.

_*BOOM*_

_What the-? Shit, that's some crazy force there! _I turn around and bring my weapon up into the Dragonfly Stance. _How is she going to attack next?_

"Interesting weapon... it doesn't cut, but it can block." Meiling comments, already in her ready stance as well next to the crater she created. "How about... THIS!"

Her foot suddenly swings in an arc, releasing a rainbow trail that joins in on itself to become a circle that flies straight at me.

"EI!" I slash it apart with a powerful downward cut, which is just what the Dragonfly Stance is meant to deliver. _Feels like cutting paper with a slightly dull knife._

"HYAAAA!"

Meiling closes in with a flurry of colorful hits so fast I barely manage to parry any of them, their speed and impact sending jolts of pain through the entirety of both arms. I barely recognize the move in time to bring the hilt of Future Gazer into the appropriate position, but it is too late to set up a proper defense; a heavy elbow smash with a flash of red sends me flying, and I almost fail to stay on my feet as I backpedal furiously in order to remain standing.

"Sssss..." _Man, that hurts. My arms are not just skinned, but tingling with the shock too. But she felt that too. _I keep my eyes trained on my opponent, who is also shaking her own arms out. _Come on, come on... how long has it been?_

Once again, she moves to attack first, but the thing I was waiting for finally came. During the course of our clash, Meiling and I had switched positions, so her back is now facing the direction I came from. The same direction from which Mokou is flying, with giant wings of flame extended out from her back.

_Now! _I take the chance while Meiling is distracted by the sudden flare of heat and light to attack.

She realizes my intention in time and reacts by blocking with her arm. However, Future Gazer slashes right through just as Mokou flies by overhead, followed by the others.

"Kkh!" Meiling forces me back with another roundhouse kick, and I notice her eyes flicker past me. "Your weapon is a troublesome thing..."

"Which is why I'm against you."

She gives me a feral grin. "Time to stop holding back then." She smacks her fists together in front of her chest, hunching slightly. "**Fierce Tiger Energy Release!**"

An intense pressure bursts out from her body along with a bright golden light, forcing me back a step. _Uh oh._

Meiling kicks off the ground explosively, charging straight in for an attack that I barely manage to deflect. It rings loudly in my ears despite missing its target.

I lean backwards to avoid a side kick aimed at my throat, pushing it up and away with Future Gazer.

A counter slash that she stops with her left arm. _What?_

She fires off a blue blast of Ki that burns my arm as I spin out of the way.

I throw out a backhanded rising slash that she steps down on, and duck when she uses it as a foothold to launch another roundhouse kick aimed for my head.

I switch Future Gazer around to get it out from under her foot and pull it back, then reverse it once more and fire off a stab at her midriff. The point comes to an abrupt halt against her glowing clothes, and Meiling smirks at my surprise. _So Ki can block my Keyblade... hey, that rhy-_

A rain of punches crash towards me, and my ears ring with the explosive impact each one makes as I struggle to block or deflect it. I really can't take much more...

She does a spinning jump just as I renew my grip on my Keyblade and step in for what's essentially a gamble; I close my eyes in reflex as her foot comes into contact with the hilt of my weapon, VERY close to my face. At this range, the pressure feels like a painful slap to my face, and I can feel the ground grinding against my feet as the force sends me skidding back.

I open my eyes to see Meiling in a ready stance again, but no longer glowing. _Guess it's finally ended. But I took too much damage just trying to keep up. She'll be able to beat my ass right now._ Grimacing, I shake out my arms.

"What's wrong? Giving up already?" She calls out to me.

I make a face as I raise Future Gazer high into the air with both hands gripping tightly. "You could say that..."

Her expression turns confused. "What?"

"**Go**." I nod at her and grin, and her eyes widen.

The next thing I know, even though I was expecting it, is that I'm suddenly up in the air travelling at an insane speed. _Door, hall, corridor, corridor, corridor! _"GYAAAAAAA! TURN! TURN! WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" I scream in reflex as the wall at the end approaches at an alarming rate.

"Shh! You're breaking my concentration -ze! It's hard enough holding onto you already!"

So, just how did I end up getting carried along at what's probably more than a hundred kilometers per hour hanging on by nothing but my grip and the grip of the witch on a Keyblade?

***Flashback to half an hour earlier***

_"So here's the plan." I slapped my hands down on my knees as I'm sitting cross-legged. "We ignore Meiling."_

_"Huh? But I can beat her easily -ze!"_

_"Me too, because Aye'm the strongest!"_

_"Look, we're not playing by spell card rules, and she uses her fists to fight, right? That means my weapon is best suited against her. But I know for sure I'm not strong enough to beat her." I gave Marisa a suspicious look. "Besides, how many times did you actually sneak by instead of beating her?"_

_"Uhh... a few."_

Yep, guessed as much. Meiling's no slouch._ "The strategy here is to maximize the chances of us winning. That means getting each one of us to face the exact person we're meant to."_

_"Wait, I thought you were strong too! If you're strong enough to beat me, then you should be able to beat her!" Cirno objected._

_"It's a matter of suitability, Cirno." I deflected, and changed the subject. "So here's what we're going to do. I'll go first, and while she's occupied, you three go past first." I point at Mokou, Tenshi and Cirno in turn._

_"What about me?" Marisa asked._

_I smiled grimly. "You're going to pull my fat out of the fire."_

_Once the battle begins, Marisa was to immediately start charging her magic that powered her flight, this was so she could bust straight into the library and defeat Patchouli before any of the others could stop her. The amount of time required to charge up according to her... was three minutes. And I was going to take advantage of that._

_"So when I'm flying through, I grab you and pull you out of that fight?" Marisa asked slowly._

_I nodded. "Yep. Try not to drop me."_

***End Flashback***

"Still..." I say with my eyes closed, "Thanks."

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE WIND!" Marisa yells. "LONG CORRIDOR!"

My eyes snap open. "DROP!" I roar back.

A feeling of weightlessness suddenly overtakes me as Marisa complies with my order; rather than freeze up, I curl into a ball and order Wire Performance to cushion my landing. _Hopefully I can rein it in again after this..._

A few jarring impacts later, I deem it safe enough to come out of the soft wire ball it encased me in, and force Wire Performance to give up its grip on me with a lot of coaxing. The black glove spread all the way up to my shoulder, and it isn't until I force it back down past the elbow that I'm able to banish the weapon.

_I don't hear Marisa... but if we left such a trail of destruction just by wind pressure, it's not going to be difficult to find her. _I imagine the look on Sakuya's face when she sees the mess, and shudder. _Not going to be pretty._

A nearby door cracks open and I raise my weapon in reflex, only to see a fairy maid squeak and shut the door once more. Looks like they received clear instructions to stay out of the battle.

_No time for that now. Status check. _I heal my injuries with Blaze Revive, and confirm my energy level. _Slightly winded, but pretty much okay. Current location... second floor? Hmm, guess Marisa couldn't find any other corridor long enough on the first floor. _

I finally settle on Wavebreaker Form Two as my weapon, and head downstairs to locate the others. The whole setup of sneaking around while carrying a mini-rifle makes me feel like some sort of covert ops agent, and I can't resist grinning as I peek around corners before rolling out with my weapon at the ready.

I feel Cirno before I see her, courtesy of the cold air she's causing with her attacks, and my ears soon pick up on her battle as well. The ice fairy's yelling combined with the clanging of metal on ice tells me that one of my team has found her target.

I stick my head out cautiously from around the corner, and snap it back ten times as fast as a knife flies through the air where it was a moment ago. _HOLY SHIT. HOLY, SHIT... HOLY... SHIT. _I get my heart rate back down once again and try again. As I do, I notice the knife vanish from where it got embedded into the wall.

"Don't mess with the strongest!"

"Kuh! You're one annoying fairy!"

As expected, Cirno is fighting Sakuya, and giving the maid a great deal of trouble. The Perfect Elegant Maid has an expression that would be called a grimace on someone rougher as she flies around the corridor avoiding Cirno's icicles and beams, while throwing her own knives back in retaliation.

The reason she's having so much trouble is because I gave Cirno one VERY important piece of advice. _Good going, Cirno._

A series of knives pierce the ground nearby, and I shy back as a beam freezes the area around them. It would certainly be a strange action to fire at a place where your opponent isn't, but there's one thing I know about Sakuya: Her knives aren't infinite; she stops time to pick them up after throwing them, and throws them again. That's the reason why it looks like she has an infinite supply.

Which is why I told Cirno to encase as many of them in ice as she could. Peeking out from around the corner, I see a HUGE number of knives- _Just how MANY spares does she have? _-embedded in nearly every conceivable surface, every single one of them sealed beneath a thick layer of ice, diminishing the maid's weapon store with each one. I notice that Sakuya is glaring in my direction as she flies. _Yeah, she must have spotted me when she retrieved that knife earlier. Guess she figured out I'm the one who told Cirno to do this._

I drum my fingers on my rifle's handle as I continue to observe the battle taking place. Sakuya charges towards Cirno with a knife in each hand, rolling and weaving through a mild burst of icy danmaku that the fairy releases with a spin. The maid crosses her arms in front of her as she closes in rapidly, and unleashes a double slash in the form of an X.

Splinters of ice go flying, but I realize soon enough that Cirno isn't injured. _Ah, I see, she pulled out an ice sword to meet that attack, and it broke from the impact._

It's clear that the maid is no longer using ranged attacks, whether it's because of a lack of ammo or her own restraint, I don't know. But she's at a disadvantage since Cirno isn't impeded in that manner, and I'm not sure if it's because it's winter, but the ice fairy is displaying a level of energy that I've never fought her at before. Sakuya already has a few rips in her clothing, and for a moment I catch a glimpse of black.

"Wonder if they're padded..." I muse out loud.

"UGH!"

_Huh? _I focus back on the fight to see Sakuya clutching her side, facing in my direction. _What just- WOAH! _I jerk back from where the knife is sticking out of the wall near my feet just as Cirno's ice beam freezes it solid.

My conclusion of what occurred is immediate: Sakuya overheard me, and aimed one of her knives at me in revenge, but the act of doing so distracted her from keeping up with the dodging, giving Cirno the chance to score a hit, which may have saved my life.

_Hey, that's against the rules! _One part of my mind snaps. _Fuck the rules, she nearly killed you! _Another part roars. _So, pads, huh? _A third part muses, and the other two are immediately hooked. _Don't know for sure if she does wear pads, could be that she's just touchy about the subject. Damn, you're right. Guess that question still remains unanswered._

Sakuya shoots a very dirty look at me, as she resumes her dodging, pulling out another knife to replace the one she threw.

Just for the sake of it, I mouth the word 'Pads' right where she can see me, and am rewarded with another yelp when she gets hit with a snowball. _Wait, why is Cirno throwing snowballs? _Still, I play it safe and switch my weapon for Phantom Blossom.

Sakuya finally makes her move after she narrowly avoids a giant icicle that buries itself into the ceiling. "I'm running." She announces as part of the rules...

And comes straight for me. I fend her off with a heavy swing at her face, forcing her back for a moment.

"You cheater! Don't attack him!" Cirno yells.

"I simply ran into another battle. But I don't- Hk!" Sakuya catches my next swing on her crossed knives. "-expect a fairy like you to understand the rules."

"You just called me stupid, didn't you!" The ice fairy raises her hands, which start to glow.

"CIRNO!" I shout loudly, and even Sakuya flinches a little. "Stay out of this, go find the others!"

"But-"

"GO!" I reverse my weapon and slash upwards, knocking away Sakuya's knives from below.

She flies backwards to avoid my follow-up stab, and watches me balefully.

"You better win!" Cirno shouts back as she darts off.

Instantly, Sakuya's up close and slashing furiously at me. I draw on the power of my Keyblade to keep up with her inhuman speed, blocking or deflecting her strikes away from me. She manages to leave a nice long cut on my left bicep, but I don't dare to heal it and give her another opening.

"Ow." I express my discomfort with that one syllable. _That's it! _The pain gives me an idea. "Guess I need to..." I say slowly, "Put a PAD on this." _Ooh, that was one visible twitch there._

We lock blades several times, and her stony expression never changes no matter how close our faces get. _Damn, it's hard when I'm grounded while she can fly around all the fuck she wants._

"Man, I'm getting a lot of bruises nowadays..." I complain as I push her back yet again. "Maybe I need to take out the PAD-ding when I train, it's making me soft."

She actually throws a few knives this time, forcing me to dance around to avoid their ricochets.

"Come to think of it, I wonder how Pa-D!-chouli is faring against Marisa." I fake a cough to alter the consonant.

Now there's a nervous tic going on in her eyelid. I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying this.

"It's about time, isn't it?" I say conversationally.

"Don't you ever shut up?" Sakuya finally breaks her silence to snap at me.

"Sorry." I shrug. "I don't really get the chance to engage in fight talk much."

She lands on the ground and dashes towards me, but the cards in her hand give away her intention, so I manage to cut her in the back when she teleports behind my position.

"How did you...?" Sakuya gasps, stumbling away.

_DON'T DO IT! _The last sane part of my mind screams, but I say it anyway. "I tend to look at the chest area as a good way to reading my opponent's actions. Very nice to look at, too."

The maid covers the front of her ripped clothes with her left arm, giving me a flat stare. "You... you pervert..."

I bow mockingly. "No need to PAD your words on my account, Izayoi-san."

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I! DON'T! WEAR! PADS!" Sakuya uncharacteristically yells, pulling a different card out of her pocket.

_Ooh, she's pissed. And what was that about 'last time', guess it's a really touchy subject for her. _

Sakuya's eyes turn a brilliant red as the card spins rapidly in the air before vanishing. "**Scarred Soul -Soul Sculpture-!**"

"**Phantom Blossom -Sakura Falling-!**"

Both of our arms blur as we unleash our ultimate flurry techniques at each other. Slash meets slash multiple times in a single moment, simultaneously deflecting each other to cut deeply into the walls and ground around us. But unlike the tired Sakuya, I've been training this move by building up on my stamina and muscle endurance, and that is the deciding factor.

The maid falls to her knees with a groan as the pink petals fade away around her. "Fi...finish it..." She croaks, still shooting her dagger-filled stare at me.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about what I said." I pull back my Keyblade.

"Liar."

I don't deny it. "I'll see you later."

My next slash puts an end to the battle.

* * *

><p><em>Three points. Not worth enough to make up for the stuff I said. Then again, even five isn't enough. <em>As I'm walking down the corridor with my rifle in hand, I hold up the pendant I had taken off Sakuya. _But I doubt I would have won that easily if not for Cirno softening her up first. That Cirno's gotten really good... man, it sucks not being able to fly and use danmaku like everyone else here. _I think to myself wistfully. _Never will, unless Yukari does some of her boundary manipulation shit on me._

I've been trying to locate the place of the next battle, but whoever's fighting at the moment is being EXTREMELY energetic about it; I can't make sense of what's shaking the entire building, or whether it's coming from above or below me.

Another muffled explosion rattles the lone window nearby, and a scenery painting falls from its hook on the wall. I pick it up off the carpet and check that it's undamaged before placing it on the floor leaning against the wall it fell off from.

_Maybe the basement? Nah... I rather not run into Flan if Mokou hasn't met her yet. But there's quite a large chance that they're the ones shaking the building. Let's try Remilia's throne room._

It turns out to be the right choice. The sounds of battle become clearer the closer I get to that location.

"UGYAAAAAA!"

My eyes widen when I hear Cirno's scream, and I sprint up the last flight of stairs and turn the corner to see the ice fairy lying huddled against a wall. Even as I watch, she forces herself to stand up, only to get hit by glowing bat-shaped projectiles and crash to the floor again.

"Ugh... hurts..." Cirno cries weakly.

"Did you really think you could defeat a vampire, the master of the night?" Remilia's arrogant voice echoes through the corridor. "Know your place, little fairy."

"Just give up and let me fight her already." I hear Tenshi's voice as well, and she sounds bored.

"Won't... lose..." Cirno forces herself to stand once more. "Because... because... Aye'm the Ninth!" She erects an ice shield to block the next attack.

Unlike before, hearing Cirno declare the fake title I gave her long ago doesn't make me smile in the least. _She's trying so hard... _"Don't lose, Cirno." I mutter under my breath as I watch her fly back into the room.

"YAAAAAAAA!" Cirno's battle cry dims slightly as she crosses the threshold of the room.

The explosions begin anew, creating a din that makes me wince. _Are they trying to wreck the place? _I creep up to the wreckage of the door and peer through the entrance.

Remilia is moving around with blinding speed, dodging through the hailstorm Cirno is throwing at her while retaliating with tiny red bats and red crystals. It's clear that my training with her isn't enough for the ice fairy to keep up with what looks like short-distance teleportation.

The vampire's pink-clad figure blurs and vanishes, reappearing behind Cirno to deliver a vicious slash with her claws.

"AAAAH!" Cirno drifts forward, clutching at her back in pain. "**Ice Sign -Fairy Spin-!**" She spins around, releasing a bunch of icicles.

"Hh!" Not expecting a sudden counterattack, Remilia is grazed on her cheeks and side by three of them. "How dare you!"

"Icicle Sword!"

But Remilia has already moved away from where Cirno is targeting. "Demon Lord Arrow!"

Unable to block in time, Cirno is blown away by the scarlet missile that is Remilia. "UGYAAAAA!"

Looking around, I see Tenshi in a corner, observing the battle from her seat atop a keystone. _Doesn't look like she's been fighting at all._

"Enough of this farce. It is your loss, fairy." Remilia throws an arm out, causing crimson sigils to appear in the air around her. "Admit it."

"Ne...ver..." Cirno staggers to her feet, and raises her arms out to her sides. "**Ice Sign: Ice Tonardo!**" She yells, spinning in place.

I duck back behind the wall as freezing winds start to blow around the room, my last glimpse of the battle being of Remilia's magic circles breaking up in the face of those white streamers. The sound of the chill wind rises to a shrieking crescendo as I curl up and cover my head, the pressure yanking at my clothes with icy claws. The moment it starts to die down, I take a risk and peek out once more.

_Giant keystone in the corner where Tenshi is..._ I squint._ Heavy whiteness all around the place... I'm guessing Cirno's probably right in the thick of it. But where's Remilia?_

My question is answered by an intense scarlet conflagration. "**Divine Spear -Spear the Gungnir-!**" A terrible voice proclaims, and the massive energy spear is thrown.

I've seen fairies get 'killed' before, but I've never seen it like what Remilia just did to Cirno. Expended and left wide open after her spell card, the ice fairy had no chance to block or dodge, and took the blast head-on. The spear rips a hole in the foggy air, and proceeds to tear a large hole in the wall, leaving no sign of the fairy. I know that she will regenerate in time, but to see her vaporized like that...

_Oh... my... god... _I stare in shock at the scene. _This is... this is the power of the Scarlet Devil? Holy shit... _

Something clatters against the ground near my feet, and I scrabble for it without taking my eyes on what's in front of me. It turns out to be the remains of the pendant that Cirno was wearing, so heavily charred that the number is barely visible.

For some reason, I start chuckling when I realize what number it is. _A five... Cirno turned out the be the top ranker in our team. But, what now...?_

"Can't believe a fairy actually gave you trouble." I hear Tenshi's voice quip.

"If I recall, you lost to that same fairy." Remilia replies coolly.

"Ggh... but really, to think a _vampire_ would be having trouble..."

_Nice job provoking others as usual, Tenshi. _I flash a thumbs-up even though she can't see it.

Remilia chokes on that a little. "Come to think of it, you were responsible for that weird weather some time back, _weren't you?_"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"And I haven't had the chance to _properly_ express my feelings about that matter..."

"Bring it on!"

Though I am still unable to see either speaker through the mix of dust and snow, the increase of pressure in the place tells me that they're both gearing up for battle.

"Oh? I smell... another easy prey."

"Where are you looking at?" Tenshi demands.

_Uh oh. _I glance around desperately. _Too far to the stairs...WINDOW!_

I sprint right for the glass window as red bats bursts from within the mist aiming for me. "DIDN'T HIT ME! DIDN'T HIT ME!" I yell back crazily like some kid playing tag. "HURRY UP AND HIT HER ALREADY, TENSHI!"

"Got it!"

I fire Wavebreaker Form Two at the window, shattering the glass and creating an opening for me to dive through. _Man, that was close. I already used up my escape card once... _I thought as I fell, looking up at the bats that were unable to turn sharply fade away. _Time for Wire Perfor- Oh. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit._

I forgot one VERY important thing about Wavebreaker Form Two before I jumped out of the window... I cannot switch to any of my other Keyblades unless I reassemble it into Form One first... and the ground was rushing up to meet me right now.

Then suddenly everything stops... _no wait, this isn't a stop. _I realize as I look at the oddly warm ring on my left hand. _It's a slow fall. Cirno's slow fall. _

I had no idea how it was happening, but apparently forming ice swords wasn't the only ability I got when I bumped fists with Cirno. Right now, I'm falling slower than I should, descending with the approximate speed of a normal escalator, and I have no doubt that my landing will be... safe, at least.

_On the other hand, I can't drift. _I twist around in the air and try to swim in the direction of the Mansion, but the walls don't come any closer. A sudden flash of light draws my attention, along with a clicking that makes my heart sink. _Ah, fuck. Her._

"Ayaya, just what are you doing, Ikuto?" The occasionally irritating tengu reporter, Aya Shameimaru, flies in front of me, keeping pace as I continue to descend to the ground. "Finally learning how to fly? The normal way is to start from the ground, you know, not throw yourself out through a window."

I give her both middle fingers. "Screw you."

"That's so rude." Aya comments, leaning back in the air and pulling out her notebook and pen. "I don't suppose it has anything to do with all the noise that's going on up there, does it?"

"So what if it does?" I say grumpily.

"That means you're a part of whatever's going on here, which means you have to give me an interview!" The tengu concludes triumphantly.

_This is why I didn't want her to show up... _I look down and angle my feet towards the ground. _Another storey to go... _"Alright, but only after it's over. Is that okay?"

"It's not over?"

Whatever answer I was about to give ended up going unheard as a section of the wall not too far away explodes outwards, followed by a black, coughing figure that tumbles across the snowy ground.

"What the- it's the Black-White!" Aya exclaims excitedly.

"Mukyu! Mukyu!..." Another figure floats out through the smoke, coughing in a weird manner. "Did you enjoy that, Marisa?"

"Achacha..." The witch gets to her feet and shakes out her hat. "You weren't supposed to be this strong..."

"You underestimate me when I have foreknowledge of your coming." Patchouli replies, and coughs again.

"Asthma giving you trouble, Patchy?" Marisa teases.

Patchouli's reply is to fly out of the smoke's area, and Marisa follows on her broom. They raise the tools in their hands, Marisa her hakkero, Patchouli her book, when they both pause and look in my direction.

"**Were you just flying?**" Both of them ask at the same time.

_Auto-lie activated. _"Who, me?" I reply with a straight face, having landed on the glass covered ground not a moment ago. "You must be imagining things."

Aya picks that moment to interrupt with an inquiry. "Aa~nywaa~y... what's going on? Did the Black-White get caught stealing books again?"

"I don't steal -ze! I simply borrow!" Marisa protests.

"Yes yes, we know, we know." Aya waves her pen dismissively. "So, am I right?"

"Patchy."

"Mukyu." Patchouli nods. "I believe we have the same idea."

"Eh? What?" Aya hasn't realized it yet.

The two magicians aim their magic tools at the tengu simultaneously. "**STAY OUT OF THIS!**" They chorus together.

I cover my head as their fired magic collide together with a spectacular boom, and I hear Aya's voice recede into the distance. "But I only wanted a scooooooop..."

_I'm not sure whether to laugh at her or pity her. _I think as I watch Marisa and Patchouli resume their battle. _But... I think it's better if I withdraw from here first._

I sidestep a few stray bullets, keeping my eyes on the dogfight as both of them fly around trying to hit each other with their respective spells. Marisa was right; I can tell that Patchouli's spells are somehow harder and more difficult to dodge compared to Marisa's bullets and lasers. As I continue to distance myself from their fight, my hands work to disassemble Wavebreaker Form Two.

"Yeow!" Marisa yelps as a small fireball scorches her arm, and goes into a dive to get away from the intense storm around her opponent.

"**Earth-Metal Sign -Emerald Megapolis-!**" Patchouli points at the ground.

Marisa weaves left and right sharply as giant green pillars burst from the ground around her. Then I realize something bad.

"HEY, DON'T COME OVER HERE!" I yell, turning to run.

I feel a painful slap against my back. "Tag, you're it!" Marisa's voice says cheerfully. "I'm outta- GYAH!"

Water spatters my face as a stream of water bullets smack loudly into Marisa's back, throwing her off her broom and into a snowdrift.

"How predictable." Patchouli speaks from somewhere above and behind me. "Ikuto, do me a favor and check her pendant, if you would."

I oblige, pulling a dazed Marisa out of the snow and removing the pendant she was wearing. "Um, it's a two." _That makes seven. One more and we lose._

"I suppose I had best put an end to this game. Ikuto, I challenge you."

Before I can react, a ball of water strikes my shoulder and drenches it. I look up at Patchouli to see her mouth twist into a tiny smirk. _Damn, she knows I have no choice but to fight._ I nod and carry Marisa over to the Mansion, putting her down against the wall before walking away from the witch.

"To be honest, I thought you would surrender. It appears that I was wrong." The sorceress opens the thick tome in her hand. "Your determination is commendable, at least."

_Really, _I think back to what I told Cirno before the game started, _it's all about compatibility. _"Let's go!" _I didn't show Eternal Inheritance to her last time... and I'm thankful for it now._

I start running, swinging Wavebreaker around to fire shots at her. Patchouli twists and dips to avoid the curving bullets, and responds by shooting bullets of fire and water back. I crouch to avoid a fireball, and fire two shots in quick succession at Patchouli's head.

"Wavebreaker." Patchouli identifies my weapon as she descends lower. "Your only weapon that is capable of long range."

_There's still Wire Performance._ Something clicks in my head."Ha-ha! Take that!" I yell like some kid playing make-believe. "Bang-bang!"

She raises one eyebrow as she dodges those shots. "Does that actually accomplish anything?" She inquires.

"Not really." I admit, "I just felt like saying that. Have at you, foul miscreant!" I perform an exaggerated fencing thrust.

Patchouli zips to the side to avoid that fast shot. "I've never heard that insult before." She says mildly.

"Yeah, the insults from that age are mainly male-oriented, so you know..." I flick my Keyblade negligently, releasing another bullet.

"Yes, I see." She descends lower, within range of the ground.

_NOW! _I switch over to Phantom Blossom and dash straight for Patchouli. "You're MINE!"

Patchouli raises her right hand into the air. "Spring Wind."

My slash misses as she suddenly ascends, and a blast of wind sends me stumbling back. _Damn, it failed._

"Autumn Edge." She swings the hand down, and metal triangles materialize in its wake.

"WAAAH!" A girlish scream spills from my lips as I dive to avoid the spray of metal knives.

"That won't kill you, you know." Patchouli sounds a little hurt.

"SORRY! PAST TRAUMA!" _I blame Sakuya from before!_

"Winter Element." She points at me.

I roll out of the way as a geyser bursts from the ground where I just was. "Are you TRYING to give me pneumonia?"

"Would you rather I do this instead? Autumn Blade." This time, what materializes aren't knives, but a single circular saw blade that comes flying towards me.

I hide Eternal Inheritance behind my back as I make a pushing motion with the other hand, repelling it back towards her with the Swallows' Cowrie. "Umm... Shinra Tensei! (1)" I call out after recalling the name of the move.

Descending to avoid it, Patchouli raises her hand once more with a frown. "What magic was that? Force Lasher." Crystallized swords appear above her head, and they all fly towards me.

"UBW! UBW! (2)" I scream as I dodge, block and parry them with Phantom Blossom.

"What?" Patchouli sounds like she can't believe her ears as she touches down onto the ground.

"Reality Marble! Gate of Babylon! (2)" I continue to babble, throwing out the random words that pop into my mind.

"Is the cold weather affecting your brain?" She suddenly aims her open book at me. "Perhaps some heat will fix that. Summer Red!"

I stare at the big fireball that is streaking towards me. _Eternal Inheritance: Fire Rat's Robe._ The protection covers my body as I do another crazy act. "FALCOOOOON PUUUUUUUNCH! (3)"

The look of amazement on her face as I smash through her fire element spell with a left straight almost makes me laugh, if my expression hadn't felt like it was twice as bombastic with the exaggeratedly wide grin and bulging eyes.

"What the-?"

_Blaze Revive! _"FALCOOOOON KIIIIIIIICK! (3)" Turning my momentum into a short running start, I jump and do a flying kick at Patchouli, shrouded in flames with a large amount around my foot.

She blocks it with a magic shield marked with all sorts of glowing runes. "What is this madness?" Patchouli seems taken aback by the insanity I let myself get taken over by.

I land on the ground in front of her. _Festival Horn! _"MADNESS? THIS! IS! SPARTAAAAAAA! (4)"

With that, I deliver a heavy, oni-powered front kick to the shield, sending her skidding back across the ground with her feet leaving trails in the snow. "Mukyu! How are you this strong? What is that Keyblade? I've never seen that one before!"

My mind starts playing some music that seems apt for a battle theme, and I let myself go with the flow. "WOAH~ OH, OH~ OH~ OH~ OH, OH~ (5)" I yell the lyrics that come with the music, the few parts that I can recall.

"Some ritual that enhances your power? But you shouldn't be able to use magic!" Her eyes widen as she notices the growing black ball near the tip of my Keyblade. "What is that spell?"

"DA DA~ DA DAN~ DAA-DA, DADA DA~" I lift the gathered material above my head. "DADA-DA **DA** DA, DA~! DA-DADA **DA!** I CAN FLY, HEY! YOU CAN FLY, HEY! WE CAN FLY, HEY!" Then I throw it at her. "MOTTO MOTTO! (5)"

She twitches as if intending to dodge at first, but her eyes widen when she sees that I threw a lob instead of a straight ball, and she lifts up a hand to block it.

That's when I blast the ball apart with a shot from Wavebreaker, enveloping her in a thick cloud of dust.

"Wha- MUKYU! MUKYU! MUKYU!" Patchouli instantly breaks into a coughing fit, surrounded by the dust I had pulled up from her earlier clash with Marisa with Festival Horn. "Spr-Spring Wind!" She chokes out, and blows the dust away with the same spell she pushed me away with earlier.

I watch as Patchouli looks down, scanning the empty ground around her for me. "Where are you? What are these abilities you are using? Mukyu!" She coughs again in the middle of her angry questioning.

She spins around trying to spot me, apparently thinking I'm hiding with Wavebreaker's stealth ability, but it isn't until she looks right beneath her and notices the growing shadow that she thinks to look up.

"Special Move! TAKE IT EASY!" I swing Wire Performance down, sending the giant wire sculpture of a Patchouli yukkuri (6) down to smash the sorceress into the ground.

"MUKY- GH!"

Earlier, while Patchouli was engulfed in dust, I used Wire Performance to propel me high up above her, before going into a slow fall while I wove the wires to form my makeshift hammer. I end the ability and drop the last meter to the ground, and walk over to where Patchouli is lying in the middle of a crater.

_Kind of gotten the hang of it. It's like an on-off switch. Just like the one controlling my sanity. _"I win." I say to myself as I slide down near her body and pull off her pendant. "Four points, that makes seven."

"Ugh..." She groans.

I pick up her body and carry her out of the crater. "Sorry about being so rough." I apologize, back to normal after getting all of that out of my system.

"Mukyuuu... you better... explain those... abilities to me..."

"Sure, next time." I promise, my eyes dropping to her body. _A bit on the chubby side. To be expected, of course._ _Hmm, rather big, why does she hide them under such baggy clothing?_

Patchouli misreads my line of sight. "I'm not giving you this book, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, no, of course not." I say hastily, looking away before she realizes just where my eyes were. I step through the hole she made earlier and back into the Mansion. "Is it really okay to cause so much damage to Remilia's mansion?"

"This kind of damage is easily repaired with earth and metal element magic. You can let me down now."

_Wow, that's convenient. But guess it doesn't work for stuff like wood, which is why they need furniture deliveries. _Just as I'm putting her down, the pendant around my neck sparks red. "What?"

"Your team won." Patchouli explains, and sighs. "I'm losing more books." She says mournfully.

"Owww..." Marisa sticks her head in through the hole. "What'd I miss?"

I turn to the witch and take off my pendant. "We won."

* * *

><p>All of us except Cirno, Meiling and Sakuya reconvene in the library, with Koakuma serving us tea. The one who won turned out to be Mokou, who arrived after Patchouli and me carrying a sleeping Flandre on her back. When I saw her with gaping holes in her clothes, I immediately steeled myself for what I knew was coming.<p>

She didn't disappoint. "YOU BASTARD!" A foot slammed into my stomach.

"HGH! I'm... sorry..." I gasped as I keeled over.

"YOU KNEW!" A stomp landed on my shoulder.

"Sorry..."

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" Another heavy kick to the ribs.

The breath whooshed out of my lungs. "Sor...ry..."

"You owe me for this." Mokou warned, and put the slumbering Flan into a nearby chair.

"Aye... aye..." I groaned, rolling over onto my back.

As I had expected, the insane personality of Flan really went to work on Mokou when they met early at the beginning, killing and blowing her up several times with her powers. Of course, being immortal, Mokou couldn't really die, and simply returned the favor. That didn't mean it wasn't painful for her, since she admitted she was thinking of ways to make me pay for it afterwards. Eventually, Flan broke down crying in frustration, and ended up crying herself to sleep. Mokou was able to take the pendant off her afterwards.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry." I repeated over and over, banging my head against the table.

"Shut up."

"Sorry."

Remilia and Tenshi showed up next, both with their share of scrapes and claiming that they were about to win when Koakuma arrived to tell them that the game was over. I wasn't too sure who to believe, but in the end I shelved it as a draw in my mind.

"But I'm actually surprised." Remilia added, looking at me with newfound respect. "I never expected you to be capable of defeating Patchy and Sakuya."

"It was luck." I gave Patchouli a look that said 'Don't give them the details!'. "They both fought someone else right before me." _After all, I was really exploiting all sorts of openings._

"But it is still an accomplishment. You should be proud of it."

I accepted that compliment with a bit of awkwardness. "Thanks."

Right now, we're waiting for Koakuma to bring some snacks as Marisa tries to decide which six books she wants.

"Mmm... this one looks good... but that one is also interesting... ahhh, why can't I take them all!"

"Because you only bet six books!" I call into the shelves. "So shut up and decide!"

"Ahhh, I know, I know! Geez, this is so hard -ze!"

"I hope you're proud of yourself, Ikuto." Patchouli gives me an admonishing look.

"Was this part of your plan to get Patchy's books back, Ikuto?" Remilia asks with a smirk. "If so, then shouldn't you have come up with a way to make Marisa lose?"

"I tried my best to think of a winning plan." I admit.

"It seems like you won the battle, but lost the war."

I give her a knowing smile. "Who knows?"

***Flashback to a few weeks ago***

_"Do you know what a Trojan Horse is?" I asked Patchouli._

_She nodded, but doesn't say a word._

_We discussed the notion of embedding spells in books, particularly tracking & locating spells and defense disabling ones._

_"Mmm... It's no good, they will be detected."_

_"What if they were broken up?" I suggested._

_I noticed one thing about magic in Gensokyo: spells are performed as a whole, from simple danmaku to an actual spellcard; none of them ever had that Dungeons & Dragons thing where spells were prepared partially, and triggered by their completion. (Spellcards are like completely prepared bombs, where the declaration is a trigger) What I proposed was actually leaving the piece of magic incomplete, which Patchouli found novel._

_"It is possible." She conceded. "I've never thought of something like this before, but it IS possible. There is just one problem."_

_"What?"_

_"How are you going to get the horse within the walls of the fortress?"_

_I smirked at her._

***Flashback to the days leading up to the snowball tournament***

_"Here are the books you requested." Patchouli pointed at the tomes on the table nearby._

_I looked at their covers and let slip a chuckle. "'Anti-theft' and 'Breaking the Wall'? Could you be any more obvious?"_

_Patchouli smiled at me deviously. "She'll think I'm just sending her a message."_

_I chuckled again. "Which she'll ignore. Good thinking."_

_"You seem confident that she will win."_

_"Of course." I spread out the paper I brought with me on top of her desk. "This is partially so the strong teams are divided, but if you notice, her team is in a block of its own, apart from the others I marked."_

_Patchouli traced the path Team Miko Doll Spark would take if they won all their matches. "And if she loses at the end?"_

_"One problem I had to solve with the prizes was that different people want different things. As long as they're within the top three, Marisa WILL get these books."_

_"Ah, I see." She tapped the line that connects two semi-finalists. "And you have someone else to collect the books if they DO lose."_

_"Exactly."_

_"I'd like to hear your plan in case that happens."_

Dang_. "To be honest, I haven't really thought of one. But if Marisa's really as good as you say she is, she won't disappoint us."_ Can't tell her my backup plan is to invite myself along on one of Marisa's 'borrowing' trips.

_"I hope you're right. I'm loathe to part with my books."_

_"Thank you for making this sacrifice." I scooped the books into my arms. "Well then, if you'll excuse me."_

***End Flashback***

Sakuya suddenly reappears next to us, her clothes perfect and elegant. "It is done." She says in a low voice.

"What is?" Marisa sticks her head out of the shelves to ask.

"A light meal I requested for." I answer. "Picked your books yet?

"Uh... yeah." Marisa comes out with six books in her arms. "I chose these -ze."

Sighing, I stand up and yank her hat off, resulting another five books falling out from inside. "I told you, six books only." I bop her on the head for that.

"Ehehe... worth a try, right?"

"Jump."

"What?" Her expression takes on a guilty light.

"Jump, I said."

That trick reveals another three more books stuffed up under her clothes.

"Marisa..." Patchouli says warningly.

"Okay! Okay! Just these six!"

I keep an eye on Marisa to ensure she packs only those six books and the ones she wagered in the battle into the sack she used for her 'borrowings'.

"It's so much lighter than it usually is -ze." She complains as she hefts it onto her shoulder, and notices the rest of us glower at her. "What?"

I sigh yet again and flap my hand at the witch. "Just go already. And make sure to say bye to Meiling on your way out."

"Gotcha. Well, be seeing y'all!"

Mokou breaks the silence a minute later. "Okay, will someone tell me _what_ just happened?"

"Ikuto? It was your plan after all." At Patchouli's words, everyone else except Flan, who's still sleeping, stares at me.

"First, let's get Izayoi-san to report on the progress." I hold my hand out to pass the spotlight to the maid.

"A total of one hundred and eighty-seven books were located and recovered. They are currently being held in one of our spare basement rooms." Sakuya recites without batting an eyelid.

_Man, that's a LOT of books to steal._

"So everything earlier was a trick?" Mokou demands, and I nod.

"In a sense."

"Tell us, Ikuto," Remilia speaks out, "Tell us how you pulled this off."

***Flashback to yesterday***

_"Izayoi-san, do you know where Marisa's house is?" I asked as I was leaving the Mansion._

_The maid nodded. "I have paid her a few visits when the occasion called for it."_

_"I need you to pay another visit tomorrow. With Meiling to go along to help with the heavy lifting."_

_Her expression flickered. "I assume you have some plan to keep her away?"_

I knew she'd figure out where I was coming from_. I nodded. "I'll give the both of you the signal to go when the time comes."_

_"Have you told Meiling yet?"_

_I shook my head. "I'll tell her on my way out. How much time will you need?"_

_"It takes approximately ten minutes to fly one way."_

_"At least half an hour then, to be safe."_

***Flashback to approximately forty minutes earlier***

_My slash sliced through the chain of the pendant, and it drops to the ground. Before Sakuya could react, I switched over to Burst Needle and inject her in the shoulder with the energy drug. _

_"There, that should reenergize you. Here." I took a small notebook out of my pocket, the key to activating the spells hidden in the books Marisa 'won' in the tournament, and hold it out to her. "This will activate the spells once you get within range."_

_She blinked and stood up, taking the book from my hand. "That is remarkable. Is it one of Eirin's medicines?"_

_I shrugged. "You could say that. But more importantly, you better go. Meiling went there about ten minutes ago."_

_Sakuya nodded and took out her watch. "By the way..."_

_"Yes?" I replied in a small voice._

_"After this is all over, I would like to discuss the remarks you made earlier." She said ominously, and vanished._

_I stood there for a moment before picking up the pendant and heading off to find someone else._

***End Flashback***

"Patchouli was a great help, drawing out her battle with Marisa. In addition to that, the limit on the number of books would delay her here even more." I conclude.

"That was rather slipshod for a plan that began weeks ago." Remilia comments, but her tone says that she's impressed.

"It's how I roll. And I thought that if things were a bit too uniform, Marisa would suspect something. She was paying close attention to the rules I came up with, which were so obviously rushed."

"So this... all this means that you used us." Tenshi accuses.

"Yes, and I'll apologize if that's what you want. But," I smirk knowingly at her, "You enjoyed the fighting, didn't you?"

The Celestial crosses her arms huffily. "H-huh! What do you take me for, some kind of battle maniac?"

_Totally transparent there. _"How about some soba at the village later then? Mokou?" I try to appease the two girls.

"Oh, alright. But don't think I'll forgive you with just that." The immortal eyes me suspiciously, and Tenshi nods in agreement.

"Of course, of course." I get up. "Well, Lady Remilia, Patchouli, if you'll excuse us..." I pointedly ignore someone, but of course my luck picks that moment to run out.

"One moment." A hand of steel clamps onto the back of my collar. "We have yet to have our _discussion_ that I promised you earlier." Sakuya reminds me.

"Oh... Onii-chan." Flan sits up and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

"Yo, Flan. Did that Onee-chan play with you?" I ask pleasantly, pointing at Mokou, who looks at the loli vampire warily.

Flan nods vigorously with a wide smile. "Yeah! I had a lot of fun! But it was tiring."

"Make sure to thank her, Flan." I call out.

"Mm! Thank you, Onee-chan!"

"Yo-you're welcome." Mokou replies unsteadily, and Flan turns back in my direction.

"Onii-chan, where is Sakuya taking you?"

The maid stops and turns around to answer, "We are simply going to have an _adult_ discussion, Flandre-sama. You do not need to know just yet."

"Listen to her, Flan. Stay here." Remilia adds.

"Oh, okay."

As Sakuya resumes moving, I'm briefly reminded of my first meeting with Yuuka. "Um... am I allowed to scream now?"

"Feel free." She replies sweetly.

I do just that, before she has even done anything to me.

* * *

><p>The aftermath of that incident:<p>

I survived Sakuya's punishment, but I will never speak of it. It will be a long time before I dare to say the P word around her again. But our relationship has improved enough that she has given me permission to use her first name. Hmm, so she DOESN'T, huh? Hey wait, no, I wasn't looking, really! Please put that knife away!

Patchouli smacked me in the head with a thick book when I explained EVERYTHING I did during our battle, and recommended that I go for psychiatric treatment. Of course, I will just ignore her on that. MOTTO MOTTO! At least I have her support now for when I choose to stay at the SDM.

Cirno turned up the next morning perfectly fine, and I gave her the pendant I was wearing as a souvenir. She seemed happy to receive it despite having lost to Remilia. Well, if she doesn't hold any hard feelings, then it's fine, I guess?

Marisa came and accused me of helping Patchouli steal her books back, but I feigned innocence and ignorance and pointed out that the original owner was simply repossessing her books, and advised her to start all over again. Since she has no proof and no idea of how it happened, I think I'm safe. But it'll be a while before she'll go along with my plans.

Aya came for her interview, but I simply gave her the cover story about planning some event on Remilia's request. She seemed more interested in getting Marisa's story though; she's been spotted in constant pursuit of the witch for that purpose. At least that gets her off my back.

Tenshi volunteered to use one of her vouchers for our meal at the soba shop, even though it was supposed to be my way of apologizing for making use of her and Mokou. It's almost like with Suika with her... but I love my drunk little oni first and foremost. Wonder what Iku thinks of me getting along with the Eldest Daughter like this.

As for Mokou... Mokou... heh... hehehehehehe... thank you for helping, Keine. Heh heh heh.

* * *

><p>(1) From Naruto. Pain's repulsion technique.<p>

(2) From Fate/Stay Night. UBW stands for Unlimited Blade Works, which is a Reality Marble, which Shirou used to combat Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.

(3) Oh come on, you should know this by now. It's always fun to hear Captain Falcon say these while playing him in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

(4) From 300. A meme by now. 'nuff said. It's underlined because Ikuto is speaking English.

(5) JAM PROJECT's Skill. A song that I consider super manly. Ikuto is singing the beginning and the bridge, the two parts which stand out the most to me, and therefore to him.

(6) A Touhou-originated meme. A yukkuri is usually a head-like creature that is a living pastry snack (I kid you not), in the appearance of one of the Touhou characters, with Marisa and Reimu being the most common, and their trademark phrase is 'Yukkuri shiteite ne!', which translates to 'Take it easy!'. However, they are usually abused and killed in gruesome ways. But then again, some of them deserve it. Check out One Yukkuri Place if you wish to know more.

Now THIS is how I write when I'm on an insane streak from cramming too much for my exams, going with total randomness. The original idea I had months ago was 'Ikuto gathers people for a mock assault on the SDM's library', but it ended up turning into this. Since I enjoyed writing this chapter, I don't think the change is bad at all.

I'm not sure what the trick Ikuto pulled on Marisa is called, and I can't be bothered to find out if it even has a name. What do you guys think of it anyway? A bit evil, but that's Ikuto, going with the flow even though it gets him into trouble. Speaking of which, does Sakuya actually wear pads or not? Was she lying when she said she didn't? That... is a question I'm asking to screw with your minds.

As for how he earned back Mokou's forgiveness, well, I'll leave it up to your imaginations. XD

He discovered a new ability of the ring, Slow Fall! That will be of great help... in the far future.

It's been a while since I wrote an actual fight scene, and I really went... nah, I'm bullshitting, I didn't really polish things, I was totally writing however I pleased. Give reviews on that, if you can. Insanity fighting... man, that was fun. On average, Ikuto isn't as insane as someone like Shinki, for example, but he does have some interesting peaks.

Well, I've taken enough time off my studying to write this chapter. Better get back to really CRAMMING for my exams. Till next time!


	40. Chapter 39: A Man's Desire

The night of the full moon. That was the night we first realized our love for each other. I smile bitterly at the memory. The sweetness is something I'll treasure forever, but tonight... I'm throwing it away.

I'm on my knees, facing Keine's back as she works on creating history. Even though she's focused on her job, I know her attention is also on me.

"What is it, Ikuto?" She asks simply.

"I like you to listen to me... and don't say anything until I'm done." I solemnly reply.

"Understood. Tell me, Ikuto," Her voice lowers, whether it's because of sorrow or resignation, I can't tell. "What is it that's bothering you?"

And so, I start to tell her my tale. Tales. Of battle.

I can't recall exactly how this one started, but I know I accompanied Marisa on a trip down into the underground first. For what reason, I also cannot recall. But along the way, Yuugi invited us for some drinking, and I encouraged Marisa to accept just for a bit.

Yuugi found out about my relationship with Suika, and she said something about it, which is one of the things I cannot recall.

Being drunk... I was drunk, no doubt about it. But her comment, it sounded like an insult to Suika, and it enraged me.

So I pulled out Festival Horn.

And I punched her through two walls.

I found out another one of Festival Horn's abilities. No, I don't think it really was an ability, but a subset of the oni's power. It rapidly metabolized the alcohol in my blood, and my mind cleared enough to recall the rest of it.

***Flashback***

_"Ho ho~ That's some power you've got there, human." Yuugi's voice called through the hole in the wall._

What have I done? I just... picked a fight with a super strong oni? No... _Rage filled my heart. _She insulted Suika. And I won't stand for that. _"That's the proof of my love for Suika." I declared, gripping Festival Horn tighter._

_"Your love for Suika? And it's made you this strong?" The oni started laughing. "Interesting! Interesting!"_

_"Hoshiguma Yuugi!" I shouted as I walked through the hole. "I can accept it when anyone says bad things about myself! But I won't forgive anyone who says bad things about those I love!"_

_"And?" Yuugi prompted._

_She was already up and standing, and I could see youkai fleeing the area. Her eyes... they didn't show any anger even though I hit her, and hit her hard. Instead... they were filled with amusement and curiosity. Oh, how I wanted to punch her again._

_And so I challenged her._

_"This!" I raised the Keyblade. "This is the weapon that comes from my bond with Suika! I will only use it... and I CHALLENGE YOU!" I roared the last three words._

_"Ha... Ha ha... Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Slow laughter that gradually grew so loud that I could hear nothing else. "ACCEPTED!" The glare she directed at me... ecstatic, and full of bloodlust._

_Damn if I was going to back down._

_Ignoring Marisa's cries for me to stop, I rushed in._

_My first move was to kick that dish out of her hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her head turned to follow it._

_I didn't want to slash her. I wanted to pound the heck out of this oni, her strength be damned. So, ignoring the blade of my weapon, I unleashed a left hook and followed it with a right uppercut to her jaw._

_The shock was loud enough for me to hear it, and Yuugi stumbled back slightly. Keeping pace, I deal a three-hit combo to her midsection._

_The air whooshed out of her, and she bent forward slightly. And I hit her with another right uppercut again, this time putting much more strength behind it._

_Expectedly, her body lifted off the ground. Unexpectedly, she didn't bend back like before._

_Her hand was under her chin, gripping my fist in a slightly painful grip, Yuugi lifted her head to meet my eyes with her slit ones. "My turn." She told me._

_Then she kicked me in the chest._

_It hurt, of course. But more than that, it sent me crashing through at least five different walls. I hardly felt those, thanks to my increased constitution._

_But it was clear that she was much stronger than I was. _

_And I still wanted to beat the fuck out of her._

_I tore free of the rubble, and charged back at her again. This time, she was ready, and so was I._

_She threw a right punch at my head, and I deflected it with the edge of Festival Horn before drawing it back to cut her wrist. The smell of sake filled the area, and she paused in confusion._

_Giving me time to drive my elbow into her side with my entire weight._

_Yuugi grunted and took a few steps to her right, but managed to swing her fist back at my neck. I ducked and slashed her thigh a few times without cutting the blue cloth of her skirt, to sap a bit of her energy. She followed up by turning and hurling a right hook at me, which I parried outwards with my left and countering with another body blow that she barely felt._

_Then she hit me again. So fast I have no idea how she did it. Maybe with her left, perhaps, or a kick. Whatever the case, I went flying once again._

_This time, by some stroke of luck, I managed to twist myself around so I landed on my feet, though I must have skidded a good ten meters or so afterwards._

_I looked up, and she was already closing in on me, so I dodged left. Yuugi's fist came so close to my head that it ripped off a few strands of my hair that came in contact through pure force alone. I responded by pushing off both my legs, straightening up with a penetrating punch to her solar plexus. Despite that, she managed to hit me with a backfist, throwing me into cartwheels._

_Without Festival Horn, I'd be dead. If not from the blow, from the way I landed._

_And I STILL wanted to beat her up. My bloodlust matched hers, and we both knew it._

_Growling, I scrambled to my feet, clawing with my fingers for purchase on the ground to get up faster. This time, I met her charge three-quarters of the way, with Festival Horn in reverse._

_My stance, my defense... they were nonexistent. I wasn't a martial artist then, I was an animal, desperate for my enemy's throat in my teeth, not caring about the cost. I attacked every single part of Yuugi that came into range._

_If she punched, I'd slash her arm while grazing past it._

_If she kicked, I'd pound it with elbow and knee, matching its force with all I could muster._

_If she landed a blow on me... I'd get up and stab her anywhere I could to pay her back._

_Her eyes were crimson with glee, and I wouldn't be surprised if mine were as well. Despite the links on the cuffs on her wrists and ankles giving me scratches when I wasn't careful enough, I hardly felt the pain through the rush of adrenaline and the joy of revenge._

_Then I went and pissed her off even further._

_She had thrown a left, which I parried as I spun further into her range. Before she could react, I had flicked the keychain on Festival Horn at her eyes, and she had flinched. Taking advantage of that, I reared my head back and smashed my forehead into her nose. And I still wasn't done; I grabbed the front of her clothes and did a judo throw, jerking her over my shoulder and slamming her into the ground hard enough to cause a spiderweb of cracks._

_That's when I started punching her face repeatedly, raining blows down on those fiercely pretty features._

_Her response was to grab my shoulders, keeping me in place while she brought her legs up..._

_And sent me flying at least a hundred meters, through no less than ten walls. Head first._

_How does physics work like that?_

_In any case, I was totally stunned by that attack. My eyes refused to focus, my ears were ringing, my limbs had a tremor I couldn't help, and most of all, I had an aching pain in my neck where the muscles were screaming in protest at having to keep my head from being kicked off my shoulders just a while ago._

_"Is that all? And what's that sake smell? Your weapon?" A distorted voice came through the ringing. "Your weapon has sake in it? That's just like Suika." Laughter follows._

Suika. Suika. That's right. I still haven't pounded her enough for that. _I blinked. _I need a drink. Sake? Weapon... sake? My weapon has sake in it? That's good enough for me.

_I brought my hand shakily in front of me, barely keeping Festival Horn in its grip. Then somehow, I pulled out the keychain at the base of the Keyblade, and the smell increased in intensity. I think I heard Yuugi exclaim in surprise, but it could have been my imagination._

_What wasn't, was that I drank the sake that was somehow concealed inside Festival Horn. And it turned out to be one of the best discoveries I ever made._

_Or one of the most dangerous._

_It burned as it flowed down my throat, and I felt a strange tickling all over my hands as the sake scorched the fatigue from my body. _

_"What the heck was that? What did you do?"_

Well now, I feel awesome. Festival Horn's missing, but I've got gloves. _I looked down at the black gloves, the red triangle on the back of my hands, the yellow orbs over the knuckles, and the blue squares below the yellow orbs, clenching and unclenching my fingers. "Uhh..."_

_"What was that?" Yuugi repeats._

_I looked up and met her eyes, and said the first thing that came into my mind. "Super Party Sake."_

_Really. What a stupid name. I must have been... no, I WAS drunk then. Even with the enhanced metabolism. Just what was in that sake?_

_But whatever the case, it was my turn to attack. My punch took both of us completely by surprise. A pity, because I could have gotten a few more hits in if I wasn't so surprised by the fact that I had just punched a prepared and blocking Hoshiguma Yuugi hard enough to make her feet gouge two huge trails into the ground about twenty meters in length._

_She lowered the arms she had blocked that punch with, grinning at me over them. "That's some amazing sake! I gotta try some of that. But first..."_

_"But first..." I agreed._

_We sprang at each other, fists pulled back to deliver boulder-shattering blows. Then we unleashed them the moment the other came into range._

_It was like that movie... oh yeah, Matrix Revolutions, the main character and the Big Bad punched each other at the same time, and both went flying simultaneously_

_"Hff..."_

_"Heh..."_

_We both rose up from our respective piles of rubble, and charged at each other once more._

_Yuugi hit me with a left hook that snaps my head to the side. I countered by leeching off the force to power my right hook to her jaw._

_Both of us staggered for a moment, then swung again. This time, we both hit each other in the cheek, stunning our opponent momentarily, but not flying like before due to better support. She recovered first, and kicked at my head. I managed to block that one with my left arm, but the force of it left my limb numb. She was a little too slow in bringing it down, giving me time to grab her ankle with my right hand. Once again, I swung her over my shoulder, using pure strength to slam her into the ground with a loud boom._

_Something hit my chin, and the world went blank for a moment. When it came back, I was still on my feet, but everything looked distorted once more. Apparently she had kicked out with her free leg, and scored a shot on my chin. I wiped my mouth with my recovering left arm, and saw a bit of blood. Meanwhile, Yuugi was rising up from where I had slammed her into the ground, with rips in her clothing._

_"Hah." I grinned._

_She spat to the side and matched my expression. "Aha."_

_Then mystic abilities came into play. She spun around, sending waves of danmaku at me, while I slowly advanced, dodging around the bullets so I could hit her some more as I gathered dust in my right hand. Copying the same trick I did on Patchouli, I threw the ball at her feet and enveloped her with blinding dust, before taking advantage of the created opening to hit her six times. She jumped up to take to the air so as to create some distance..._

_Or tried to. With my outstretched left hand trained on her, she suddenly staggered, the ground cracking even further beneath her feet as I made the area around her heavy with Festival Horn's power, the dust dropping to the ground in face of the same effect. Before she could get used to the sudden increase in weight, I sent her crashing to the ground with a downward punch._

_I kept up the pressure, kicking her in the stomach while she was down. Yuugi caught my third kick in a vise grip, and the next thing I knew, the world was spinning._

_Spin, stop. Spin, stop, Spin, stop. Each time the stop was momentary, and painful._

_The oni was swinging me into various things, and I couldn't stop her. She finally released me, and I went flying again. With the longest air time yet._

_The ground rushed up towards my face, and it was my turn to gouge two scars into the ground as I used my arms to try for a roll and failed. Only at the end did I manage to accomplish it... just in time to avoid Yuugi coming down to crush me under her foot._

_Getting back up on my feet, we began pounding away at each other once more. Sometimes one of us managed to block a critical blow, other times our attacks met each other head-on to create a shockwave that blew away the rubble from around us._

_But most of the time, we ignored the hits we took. Whether it was a punch or a kick, an elbow or a knee, we simply shrugged them off in favor of hitting back._

_"Hahaha!" She was laughing gleefully._

_"Heh! Heh heh heh!" And so was I._

_"__**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**__"_

_It wasn't about Suika anymore. I just liked to hit, to unleash all my strength into a blow at my opponent. That was the danger of this Super Party Sake: It drove me berserk, turning me into a crazed beast who could only think of beating on this powerful enemy._

_She realized that first, now that I recall. Between one hit and the next, her expression turned puzzled, then contemplative, before finally settling on comprehension._

_"Stop." My head snapped to the side again._

_"No." I told her cheerfully, and kneed her in the stomach. _Come on, come on, come on come on come on!

_"I said stop." Her fist slammed into my sternum, making me gasp for a moment._

_"I said... no!" I responded as I hit her with an uppercut to the chin that made her teeth click._

_Her head barely moved; either she never fought at full strength at all, or I was tiring. I think it must have been more of the latter, as pain started to filter through my body right then._

_"Hey! ...away -ze! ..." Someone shouted from above, prompting Yuugi to nod and retreat._

Where are you going? Why are you jumping away? Come on, let's hit each other some more! Let's-

_Then the world turned to rainbows. Or maybe a waterfall. Or a waterfall of rainbows. At least that was what it felt like to me to be on the receiving end of Marisa's Master Spark, that is._

_When I came to, I was lying in a VERY uncomfortable pile of rubble. There were a lot of stones poking my body in various sensitive spots, and I could hardly move at all. I blinked through a haze of pain, and made out Yuugi standing over me. Her clothes were really ripped up now, and I could see parts of her legs through the tears in her skirt, and her sarashi was exposed by a large missing part of her white shirt. Some parts of her face seemed to be swelling a little._

_"Ow." I said weakly._

_"Finally done?" She asked, smiling slightly._

_I could feel Festival Horn, once more in its Keyblade form, in my left hand. "Guess... so. I can't really move at all."_

_"Thought so. That sake of yours, you better not drink it again."_

_"Tell me... something... I don't... know." I grunted, forcing my right arm to move slightly. "But... you know..." My voice dropped even lower, nearly a whisper._

_"Hm?" Yuugi had to lean really close to hear what I was saying._

_"It was fun." Then I grabbed a handful of boob and squeezed it a few times. "Honk honk."_

_"Pft!" She stifled her laughter. "I like your straightforward character. I'd take you for myself if Suika hadn't already done so."_

_I gave her a weak grin. _Lucky me then. _My hand dropped away. "Gonna... sleep now..." I whispered as darkness reclaimed me._

_Marisa told me later, the two of us had wreaked a huge path of devastation, destroying at least two houses completely and damaging countless more until Yuugi threw me into the large empty outskirt, which now had a bowl-like feature where we had fought the last part of our battle, plus a big beam scar left by Marisa Sparking me._

_Needless to say, the youkais weren't too happy about it, so Marisa left quickly with me draped over her broom. I don't think I can go back again anytime soon, and even if I do, I'm going to have to make it up to them._

_Yuugi gave Marisa a message to pass on to me. "Thanks for letting me enjoy myself. Suika wasn't wrong in picking you. Let's have fun again when you come back."_

_I felt a little pleased hearing that, but the last part... that bothered me quite a bit._

***End Flashback***

I tell the story to Keine, omitting a few parts such as my molesting Yuugi.

She's silent for a while, and she had paused in her work sometime back. "Was that why you didn't come back that night? You _physically _fought an oni?"

My heart sinks on hearing her tone. "Yes."

I hear a sigh. "What else happened?"

Taking a few deep breaths to recompose myself, I continue speaking.

* * *

><p>After Marisa had gotten us out of the underground, her first thought was to get me to Eientei for treatment. Unfortunately, the Garden of the Sun was very close to that entrance, and Yuuka was lying in wait.<p>

Just why is she so interested in me? I know I'm fun to tease, but really...

With a passenger, Marisa couldn't really fight, despite being willing to. And I knew that as well. That was why I told Marisa to just give me up. I had Blaze Revive to help me recover anyway. That's how I ended up spending the night in Yuuka's house, which made me think of the house built at Komachi's area due to the two similarities they had: size and architecture.

But that was the limit of the resemblance. No, Yuuka's house didn't have corpses hanging from hooks on the ceiling or a closet full of whips and other S&M tools like some would expect, but there was a strong feeling of singularity to that place that seemed to say 'This place is mine. And mine alone.'. I couldn't relax in such a place at all, not like in Komachi's house, which was filled with friendliness and laughter.

If that was it, it might have been okay. But Yuuka was acting friendly and all, and the contrast between the owner and the house set me on edge even further. Maybe it was a lingering effect of Super Party Sake (stupid name, but I'll stick with it), but there was no way to know for sure. And with my aches and bruises that Blaze Revive couldn't heal making me grouchy by not letting me have a good night's sleep, there was only one way things would go.

Downhill.

***Flashback***

_"Really, there's no need for you to react like that." Yuuka said softly, looking in the direction of the cup I slapped out of her hand._

_"And there's no need for you to act like this!" I retorted. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"_

_"But I am simply playing the role of the good host." Yuuka turned back to face me, her eyes unreadable._

_I should have just shut up. "Then just leave me alone. I do not need you to help me drink." _

_"You're being extremely rude, aren't you..." Her voice lowered even further._

_"You push, I push back." was my short reply, digging my grave even deeper._

_She snapped. "Then what if I push like... this?"_

_In a flash, she grabbed the front of my shirt and shorts, both ripped from the fight with Yuugi, and _threw_ me through the door. Without Festival Horn, the pain was enough to take my breath away, and my tumble across the snowy ground made it all the more worse. I was groaning, expressing my agony with guttural sounds as my hand tried to find my key._

_"You forget your place, _human_. I thought you were smart, but it seems I was wrong." Yuuka's voice spoke, no longer joking in its tone._

_"Everyone's... got... limits..." I braced my other hand on the cold, muddy earth and pushed myself up. "You just... found mine..."_

_"And what are you going to do about that?" She asked coolly._

_In spite of myself, I started grinning. "Settling things... Gensokyo style..." My hand found the key._

_Punch drunk, perhaps. Or maybe corrupted by my time here. Looking back now, what was I thinking, picking a fight with _YUUKA _of all people? I could think of better ways to die, such as destroying Reimu's donation box, playing with Flan while she's in one of her moods, calling Yukari a hag repeatedly, spreading the rumor that Sakuya is a flat-chest who wears pads... Yep, I must have been clinically insane right then._

_"Oh?"_

_"Can't use... danmaku though..." I jabbed myself in the side with Burst Needle. "So let's... do it the other way!"_

_I dashed at her the moment I finished speaking, and slashed at her face with Phantom Blossom. With everything accelerated, I could perceive the fluttering of her clothes, the shape of the falling snowflakes, the movement of her eyes as she tracked my blade's trajectory..._

_And the single, tiny end of green hair my blade sliced off when she dodged it at the last moment with the smallest of movements._

_That was enough to tell me how fucking outmatched I was. _

_In normal danmaku, hitting your opponent who is far away is achieved by either boxing her in or overwhelming her attention with lots of bullets until her inability to keep up results in a hit. Compared to that, actual one-on-one close combat would have been so easy you couldn't even call it a fight, as the one with the higher physical ability and reading skills would clearly win._

_I scored my win over Youmu only because I exploited a weakness that she didn't know she had while her danmaku was sealed by rules._

_I could beat Alice only because of smart tactics and rules, and once she knew what to expect from the Phantom Blossom-Burst Needle combination, it became even harder. _

_I matched Meiling only because she was holding her true speed and power back on me in order to witness my technique (she admitted it after I confronted her)._

_The explanation of the rest of the differences between danmaku and actual fighting would take too long. So let's sum it up in one sentence:_

_Trying to take Yuuka in a non-danmaku fight was an action that I would win a Darwin award _(1) _for._

_Her hand was in front of my face before I could bring my Keyblade back, and she poked me in the forehead, hard enough to make my eyes water._

_"GAH!" I yelped in reflex, and swung randomly to force her to back off._

_She poked my head again, reaching over my swing with her parasol to do so._

_Oh god... I was _THAT _close to getting a Master Spark in the head, but I didn't think about it right then._

_All I felt was frustration that she was taunting me, and I drew on more of Phantom Blossom's power in an attempt to reach her._

Cut, cut, cut, cutcutcutcutcut. _The speed of my swings were nearly at the level of a normal Sakura Falling now, and without any fatigue._

_Yuuka continued to dance around my attacks, sometimes leaning back, sometimes bending a little, but mostly twisting left and right to move her body out of the way. Occasionally, she attempted to poke me again, but I was able to block them. But the force behind that one finger was scary enough._

_After some time, she spoke. "Is that all?" She sounded disappointed._

_"What?" I grunted._

_"You have a lot more than this, don't you?"_

_I realized I was limiting myself to sword attacks in order to train myself up for the spar with Youmu. "Fine then!"_

_I decided not to use Festival Horn this time, partially out of fear that I might lose control of myself, partially because its range was too limited to ever think of taking Yuuka on with it._

_I scored my first hit by switching to Wavebreaker in mid-swing to fire a small bullet when she stepped back to avoid a horizontal slash, but all she did was raise an eyebrow in mild surprise when it smacked her front like a snowball._

_"Better. But not by much."_

_"Then how's this!" _Wire Performance: Nanasen!

_Wires ripped across the ground towards Yuuka, and she sidestepped before heading for me. A second swing stopped her advance, and a third made her back off._

This is just like danmaku. Spell cards, then! _I thought, and started using Wire Performance to herd the flower youkai into the position I wanted her._

First Act: Bind the Audience! _A forward thrust sent the wires whipping out in an attempt to capture my opponent, and the black glove began spreading past my wrist._

_She weaved among them, her body blurring even to my sight, parrying a few with her closed parasol without letting them get a proper hold on it. _She's finally using her parasol defensively. I can do this!

Second Act: Stinging Rain! _I raised the Keyblade up into the air, weaving the wires into spears to stab at Yuuka repeatedly, the extent of the glove creeping forward with each thrust._

_She was smiling as her feet skipped around the place, as if dancing among raindrops. Her mouth moved as she winked at me._

_"...uch bet..." I heard through the pounding of the lances._

_Like a conductor waving his baton, I snapped my weapon arm from side to side. _Third Act: Jump to the Beat! _Instantly, the wires unraveled and started whipping back and forth near the ground. By now, the glove had extended to my elbow._

_I had forgotten Yuuka, like nearly everyone else here, could fly; she opened her parasol and hopped into the air, spinning in a slow, floating arc over the dangerous ground while her outstretched arm swung her parasol around._

_It looked familiar to me then. Now I realized it was like that Mary Poppins character..._

_No wait, I take that back. They have totally different personalities. They should NEVER be compared to each other. NEVER._

_She landed on the one spot I left untouched, and closed her parasol. That was when I made my next move._

Fourth Act: Tension Rise!_ Planting my feet firmly, I jerked Wire Performance backwards, pulling the wires taut and unleashing the trap I had sneakily planted beneath the ground in the middle of the Third Act. I could feel the unearthly fabric covering a third of my bicep now._

_Blocks of frozen earth exploded from the ground, pulled by the nets woven beneath them. However, Yuuka easily avoided them by ducking beneath due to my apparent overuse of strength sending them too high._

Fifth Act: Holding the Suspense! _By now, the glove was nearly at my shoulder. I bent the fingers of that hand slightly, hardening the wires as I pushed the Keyblade forward again._

_Two giant wire-woven hands closed in on the stalled flower youkai in an attempt to crush her, but she escaped the attack by jabbing one of them with her parasol to stop it, and jumped straight up to avoid the other._

_Wincing as I felt a sting in my palm in the exact same position where Yuuka stabbed, I released the form, causing the wires to spread out. My arm felt alien, with the glove nearly consuming the entire joint by now._

Finale: Wrap It Up! _For the first time since I began this 'Performance', I started moving. Running towards Yuuka, I pulled my weapon back down to my side._

_In response, the wires that had been curving outwards around Yuuka... came rushing back to pierce her from all angles. I could see the smile on her face and she raised her parasol... and whipped it about so quickly I saw nothing but a blur of pink, slapping away every seeking tendril._

_I kind of expected that, actually. That was why the finale wasn't the true finale. I had no idea how these weird names kept popping into my head, but the last one that was coming would be my own (copied) idea alone._

_"ENCORE! GIGA... DRILL... BREAKERRRR! _(2)_" I roared as I launched the chambered weapon forward in a deadly thrust. _It's nearly... consumed my entire arm...

_The deflected wires pulled back as I said each word, twisting themselves together to form a giant drill twice my size that burst into a furious unwinding spin at the last syllable. I drove the point of that weapon at her, intent on piercing the flower youkai through._

_There was an expression of joy on her face as she aimed the point of her parasol at me instead of flying out of the way, and opened it up as a shield._

_A earsplitting screech tore the air, as my attack met her defense. I shut my eyes against that racket and braced myself, pushing the Keyblade forward with all my strength. Incredibly, just before I closed my eyes, I saw that the blackness that had spread up my arm was rapidly retreating back down, but I didn't think much of it then._

_The shrieking ended with a loud metallic crash, and I opened my eyes to see Yuuka standing right in front of me, her open and clearly undamaged parasol resting on her shoulder as her hand reached out for my face again._

_Damn it, why did she keep poking me in the head?_

_It sent me flying off my feet, and I attempted to use Wire Performance to support me as I rolled to my feet, only to discover that it no longer responded to me. _Overuse? The Keyblade that was so eager for 'skinship' with me that I had to take care not to summon it by accident? _It seemed like the weapon had expended all its energy._

_However, I didn't have time to ponder the reason why the most versatile of my Keyblades had been sealed as Yuuka finally attacked. I pulled out Phantom Blossom once more to parry the thrusting parasol to my left, and countered with a slash that she leapt back to avoid._

_All I could think of then was the need for more speed, even as she swung her parasol down at me in a heavy blow that sent me to my knees despite blocking with both hands supporting my Keyblade in the strongest positions._

_That was when it happened. It began with ice coating Phantom Blossom, spreading from my left hand to cover the entire Keyblade, then with a transformation I couldn't make out, the weapon broke outwards into two different forms, forcing Yuuka to jump back once again to avoid getting cut._

_The ring was practically searing my finger as I lifted up the new weapon in my left, placing it between me and my opponent. At some point of time earlier, the broken off end part of Phantom Blossom had altered its shape, becoming an ice-blue katana with a six-petal blade guard. The other half retained its original hilt, but the shaft had been replaced by a blade identical to the one in my left._

_I noticed that one of the icicles on the ring suddenly extinguished, and realized that there was a time limit. So I attacked._

_Her expression showed surprise when I suddenly closed the distance between us, and swung with my left at a speed far beyond what I showed before. She dodged it, of course, but my other weapon was following behind._

_My normal attacking speed was approximately three slashes a second per hand, with Phantom Blossom it was around ten slashes, combined with Burst Needle it would reach twenty-five. But this new mode... I wasn't really focused on counting, but I think it was nearly sixty._

_Left high, right low, spin, left stab, right vertical, left stab, spinning right... In one instant, I had attacked eight times, advancing all the while._

_I was pressuring her now; Yuuka wore a look of intense focus as she dodged or parried my attacks. But I couldn't keep it up forever, another twinge in my left hand reminded me of the fact that this rush would end before I managed to wear her down._

_So I unleashed another one of those attacks that somehow popped into my mind. _Rather straightforward name, this one.

_It began as a sword dance; a constant, endless flow of strikes that glanced off or whipped through the earth beneath my feet as they stepped in a pattern I had no memory of. Each time one of my blades came in contact with the ground, there would be a small burst of petal-shaped sparks, teal for the sword in my left, pink for the one in my right._

_The sparks didn't fade, but remained floating in the air near their point of origins for a moment. Then they followed the trail of the sword that passed near them next, as if pulled by the wind left in its wake. As my strokes began to speed up, some of the petals fell behind, but attempted to pursue the same trail nonetheless. _

_The result of these two blue-pink trails weaving around me was a rapidly growing storm of petals that made even Yuuka pause. Just a moment ago, she attempted to touch one of the petals, only to receive a cut for her trouble. These petals were deadly miniature blades, and they formed a barrier she could not penetrate lightly._

_The fourth twinge since I began wielding two blades finally galvanized me into action. Extending them out to the sides, I brought them forward in a high-speed X-slash that sent every single petal shooting towards Yuuka in a deadly torrent of pink and teal._

_"Ice-Flower: Thousand Petal Explosion!" _Yep, what a simple name.

_I couldn't see what she was doing through the swirling storm, but I found out a second later when I got hit with a waterfall of rainbows again. _

_God help me, I got Master Sparked twice in a span of twenty-four hours._

_The first time, I had a high-level armor boost. This time, I had a barrier of millions of tiny blades as a shield. _

_Not much difference between the two._

_Some of the blades diffused the energy and force of the Spark, but mostly they got vaporized by the heavy beam, giving up their short existence to lessen its power enough so that I was able to survive when it actually hit._

_Unfortunately, survival did not come without pain. And there was lots of pain. _

_Oh wait, spell cards are meant to be nonfatal. Hmm, I think I should ask Reimu more about it to see how that works, but I digress._

_I fell unconscious at some point, and woke back up in Yuuka's house, with the owner herself seated next to me. The first thing I did was to express my surprise that I was still alive. She offered to remedy that, and I immediately refused. I had pushed my luck far enough already. _

_I just kept my mouth shut and went along with whatever she said, but I did allow myself to ask one question: Why did she let me live despite the disrespect I had shown?_

_"It really is fun to tease you." She told me cheerfully, her red eyes containing the same vicious light that Yuugi had during our battle._

_I realized she had enjoyed cutting loose with non-spell card rules... And she realized that I knew, and sweetly requested that I keep it a secret from Reimu._

_As soon as I got the chance, I used Blaze Revive to treat my scrapes, and I injected myself with Burst Needle once more so I could get out of there right away. Yuuka saw me off, of course, but at least that was better than having her imprison me there like some yandere._

***End Flashback***

Like with the Yuugi boob grab, I keep the part about the not-so-subtle blackmail to myself.

"So you fought an oni physically, then you challenged someone as dangerous as Yuuka Kazami, and took TWO Master Sparks?" Keine's hands no longer moved; her attention's probably focused entirely on not coming over to where I am and headbutting me into oblivion. "Why haven't I heard about this, Ikuto?" She asks in a dangerous tone of voice.

"I didn't want to worry you." I reply without thinking, and facepalm hard enough to make my head ring. _Great going, dumbass._

"Then why are you telling me-" She suddenly stops. "There's something else, isn't there?"

I wince. "Yes." I admit.

"Tell me."

Shivering a little at her tone, I comply with her order.

* * *

><p>"As you know, I went out in the morning because I had an arranged spar with Youmu." I begin.<p>

Keine's head bobs in a nod despite not facing me.

"Well..."

*Flashback to earlier*

_I met Youmu at Hakurei Shrine, and we were talking as I warmed up my limbs for the impending spar._

_"How's Yuyuko?"_

_"Same as usual. Wake up early to eat breakfast, snacking until it's time for lunch, napping until it's time for dinner, then sleeping until the next day." Youmu answered, sighing._

_"Heh. What about you? You seem to be quite busy nowadays."_

_The gardener of Hakugyokurou nodded. "And every time I try to leave, she always shows up and challenges me for the right to do so."_

_"Seems like she's jealous of you coming to see me." I teased, making her blush._

_"It's tough not being able to see either of you as often as I would like." I admitted. "Does she mention me?"_

_"She said, if I recall her exact words, 'The young man who used to live here made some pretty good food. Wonder where he is now.'" Youmu gave me a look of amusement. "I'm sure that's Yuyuko-sama's way of saying she misses you."_

_I chuckled. "Or maybe the food I make."_

_"Say, Ikuto."_

_"Hm?" I glanced over at her._

_"Do you..."_

_"Of course." I answered her question before she's even finished asking it. "Believe me, my feelings for you never changed. Never will."_

_Youmu looked down, but I could see the small smile on her lips. "You know, Yuyuko-sama did say something strange."_

_"Hm?" I looked up to where I was doing crouches. _

_"Something about desires and spirits."_

Sounds like an incoming incident. Wonder what number Touhou was at... let's see, Hisoutensoku was 12.3... Touhou 13? _I kept that thought to myself and finished my warm-up. "Well, you know Yuyuko, she goes off on a tangent sometimes."_

_"Sometimes?" Youmu's voice was dry. "Are you ready?"_

_"Yep."_

_"Woah, it's starting -ze!"_

_"Hmm~? Ohh! Go, Ikuto!"_

_"First a party, then a snowball tournament, now a sparring ground. Just what do you think my shrine is, Ikuto?" Reimu asked a question which I pretended not to hear._

_With it being Hakurei Shrine, it's natural that the two of us would have an audience. Marisa, Suika and Reimu are gathered nearby, drinking tea and eating snacks as they waited for us to begin._

_Walking onto the large space between the gate and the actual shrine itself, I took up a position a few meters away from Youmu, and we bowed to each other._

_"Are you sure you want me to use danmaku?" She asked as we straightened up._

_I nodded, my attention already focused on her. "Yes, please."_

_"Then... prepare yourself!" Her phantom half suddenly stopped bobbing._

_We charged at each other without needing any signal. Her katana hissed as it was drawn from its sheath, just as Phantom Blossom materialized in my hand, and they met with a loud clash._

_It was soon followed by another, and another, and another, as we wielded our weapons in offense and defense according to the situation._

_She went for my neck, and I block it with the bit of my Keyblade, catching the thin blade in the groove between the shaft and the flower-shaped bit. The moment Youmu pulled it back to attack again, I performed an instant weapon reversal and aimed at her neck in return._

_Her katana intercepted it, and she drops down, angling her blade past mine to go for my torso._

_I reacted by bracing my left hand on her elbow, using it to support my moving into a clockwise spin that put me behind her and in a position to stab her in the back as my right foot completes the revolution to hit her ankle._

_Rather than going off balance, Youmu absorbed the shock, moving her feet into a more advantageous stance as she whipped her weapon around her left to go behind her back and parry my weapon without having to look._

_She follows through with that motion, executing a spin similar to the one I had done to bring her body around to face me for an overhead slash, which I caught on Phantom Blossom only by the dint of the instant reverse._

_But before I could follow up with some hand-to-hand combat, she took the chance to do so FIRST, jerking her weapon up to push away mine with the cross guard, and kicking me in the stomach._

_I leapt back to reduce the force, but she was already closing in; her blade flashed repeatedly as she hacked at me, pushing me to draw out more of Phantom Blossom's power to keep up._

_My attempts to feint failed. Or rather they didn't even register to her since she used her speed to prove the saying 'the best defense is a good offense', forcing me to discard them in order to block her attacks._

_I was impressed; Youmu had DEFINITELY gotten better, probably from having to fight against Yuyuko repeatedly. One step, two, three. Bit by bit, she was forcing me back by striking at my openings to force me to dodge when the speed of my blade was unable to keep up with hers, never letting me get a proper defense up._

_That's not to say I didn't attack her back. But each time I tried to counter, she would simply brush it aside and go on trying to batter me down._

And I'm using Phantom Blossom as well... _I thought wryly. _Well, always nice to see improvement.

_"Danmaku?" I asked, reminding her of my earlier request._

_A swift nod, and Youmu retreated with two huge bounding leaps. She slashed upwards from the hip, then cut the air above her horizontally, releasing two rows of bullets that covered both top and most of below._

I see... _My response was to dodge to the left, just as she sent her phantom half to the right to release a wider spray of bullets that would have caught me had I dodged in that direction. _But it's not going to be this easy, is it?

_My silent question was made rhetorical by Youmu's presence in front of me, once again slashing at my body mercilessly, but this time utilizing danmaku in combination with her physical attacks. I twisted and ducked as fast as I could, grazing both blade and bullet with adrenaline enhancing my reactions._

_I was constantly switching between one-handed and two-handed style, an amalgam of speed and strength that kept Youmu from figuring out my next move easily. Which was why she kept trying to lock me down with continuous attacks._

_I nearly stumbled when she suddenly slipped backwards as she gestured with one hand, but I was able to react fast enough to block the glowing purple missile that was her phantom half._

Ikuto's not bad... but he should be better. _Youmu's thoughts flashed through my mind for a moment._

Damn. _I focused power into my legs and dashed after her, intending to prove myself._

_The fight expanded from there; the two of us covered nearly every bit of the space Reimu allowed us to use, going back and forth, left and right as we struggled for the slightest advantage over the other. _

_I ducked under another row of danmaku, feinting left then heading right in an attempt to get to her back._

_She whirled around to prevent that, but I did something totally unexpected._

_I flipped over her._

_Me, who never once tried doing something like that before. Even in Eientei. I was intending to get Meiling to teach me sometime, but in this fight, I just went along with the flow. And that called for me to perform a jump I've never attempted, which I did._

_I'm still in shock over it. It could have been an impression I received from the dual wielding..._

_But it worked well enough, surprising Youmu when her blade failed to find its target while mine whipped through her shoulder leaving no marks but dispersing a small portion of her energy as glowing pink petals._

_But as usual, her reaction was nearly instantaneous; a hiss was all I got as a warning as she finally brought her other weapon into play as I landed. A strike weakened my defense, then a second knocks it away, and she used the created opening to deliver a heavy kick that contained all of her power._

_I hissed without meaning to as my feet skidded back, feeling the intense ache in my left arm which I used to tank the hit instinctively._

_Part of my old sports-style training was to give up an arm rather than receive a critical injury. But then again, in this place, the slightest drop in my ability to function was just the same as asking for death, which was why I trained hard every day. (Obviously I DO take time to rest and recover)_

_I didn't have the power to bring out the dual wield ability of Phantom Blossom to counter physical blades, so I did the next best thing I could think of._

_I released a Sakura Falling at Youmu as she came in to finish me off, as an all or nothing move. _This will decide my fate... literally.

_With an oh so tiny difference. I had achieved enough control over the technique that I could direct the majority of the strikes rather than let body memory do the work, and that means I could do something such as... say, leaving a hole for Youmu._

_Her own katanas blocked and parried the flickering attacks, her eyes darting all over the place as she read the trajectory of each one._

_Sigh... that's one thing I can't fix about the technique. The velocity of the movements don't allow for all the deception I often use to balance the scales of the battle._

_Then it came for me. Her shorter blade. Hakurouken. As a stab for the hole I left._

_Youmu's expecting me to break off. So I..._

_STEPPED TOWARDS IT._

***Interruption by Keine***

"You _set_ yourself up to get **STABBED**?" My wife asks incredulously.

"Yep. Like a boss. (3)" _Woah, how did those words pop into my head? And why didn't my mind filter it out before it reached my mouth? _Probably because I'm in such deep shit already that it makes no difference whether I go any deeper.

"I... what... I don't... Hakurei help me..." Keine buries her face into her hands. "Just... just go on."

***Continuing Flashback***

_It HURT. Well duh... it's an actual physical katana, and it pierced quite deep around my stomach before Youmu yanked it back._

_"__**IKUTO!**__" I heard more than one person scream._

_"HRGH." _Blaze Revive, please help.

_The flames instantly converged on the area, but I hardly felt the pain from that. I was more focused on the effect of Hakurouken._

_Like it was written, Hakurouken cuts away confusion. And while I can't describe just HOW it worked, it did. _

_For a short period of time, my usually chaotic mind was aligned perfectly. I could understand the path I was on... and just how stupid I was. Well, if I had to get stabbed to realize that fact, I must have been pretty stupid._

_But my objective was achieved. I knew what I wanted._

_Youmu was the most worried about me afterwards, but I assured her that I was perfectly fine, that Blaze Revive had completely healed me without a scar to show at all, and that it was a careless mistake on my part. Reimu and Marisa were similarly worried and wanted to bring me to Eientei even then. Suika was the most calm of all of them, but even she was looking at me with a bit of worry; she knew because I had confided in her before this spar._

_I feel like shit for making Youmu suffer like this, but I HAD to know. I'm going to spend a LONG time making it up to her without her finding out._

***End Flashback***

The aura Keine's emitting is borderline dangerous now, and her head is turned enough for her to look at me with one of her eyes. "And what was it you had to know so badly that you would injure yourself for it?"

"..." _Damn it._

"Ikuto."

"...Hh..." _Damn it, damn it._

"Tell me."

My eyes clench shut as I dig my fingernails into my palms. "Hkk... I... Ghh... I want..."

"Ikuto?" Keine's voice softens as she feels the pain in my heart that my voice only hints at.

I sniff hard, feeling the hot tears roll down my face. "Hhhh... I want to... I want to... Ggggh!"

There's only so much I can accept. There's only so much I can reject. That's why... that's why...

"_I WANT TO BE STRONGER!_" I yell downwards at my knees.

"Ikuto..."

"I hate this! I hate it! Not being able to DO anything... Ggguuhh... I try SO HARD! BUT-!" I punch the mat next to me as the emotion-packed words pour out. "Damn it! DAMN IT!"

Warm arms wrap around my shoulders as something soft presses against the top of my lowered head. "Calm down, Ikuto."

"I can't! Because I... Because I... I don't want to hurt you like this, but I can't help myself! Keine... KEINE!" Part of me can't believe that I could sob like this, while the other part... I bury my face into the lap of her green dress. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"... Ikuto." Her voice... I can hear the pain in it.

"Sorry..."

"Ikuto." Suddenly there's some steel in it. "Look at me."

Slowly, shakily, I raise my head, as Keine pulls back just enough that her hands are resting on my shoulders. I blink a few times to get rid of the tears still in my eyes, until I can see her features.

"Were you happy here?" She asks me quietly.

I nod hard, stifling another sob.

"Are you sure about what you want?" Another question, in the same tone.

I nod again, harder.

"Then..." Keine draws herself up despite remaining in a sitting position.

**BANG**

THAT. HURT.

"That was for doing something stupid." Keine informs me, keeping a tight grip on my shoulders. "Now look at me."

I pull my hands away and look up again... to see her head drawn back once more.

**BANG**

_AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! THE PAIN! THE PAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNN! _Clutching at my forehead, I fall on my side and start thrashing uncontrollably.

If I wasn't crying before, I would definitely be now. So this is how it feels like to receive a head butt from Keine on the night of a full moon.

"GO DO IT THEN! If that's what you really want, then go for it with all your strength!" Her sharp voice cuts through the haze of agony.

"Keine...?" I manage to get out.

"Rather than letting that spoil your time here, I'd rather you leave instead!" Keine snaps at me.

_Heh, so that's it... _"Heh... heh heh, heh heh heh..."

She pauses on hearing me chuckle. "Ikuto..."

"I'm really an idiot, aren't I..." I groan, still feeling the pain in my head.

"Yes you are." She replies without hesitating, the earlier harshness no longer in her voice.

"I have such a great wife... and I forgot about it..." _Always supporting me..._

Blinking away the fresh tears, I look at Keine's face. She's crying too; tears are dripping off her chin as she look down at me with those tender crimson eyes. I spare one hand from holding my tender skull to cover the hand in her lap, and feel another drop splash down on its back.

"Realize it earlier... you stupid fool..." She chides, giving me a small smile.

"Hey..." I call out to her.

Of course, she answers. "Yes, Ikuto?"

"I love you." I put all my emotion into those words.

"I know." One of her hands goes up to her face, brushing back a lock of her hair as she leans down towards me. "I love you too... my husband."

_Wait... why is your hand feeling so... warm... what are you... _Her lips brush against mine once-

* * *

><p>"So you're leaving the village?" Akyuu asks, her hands tucked into her sleeves against the cold.<p>

"Yeah. I really think it's time for me to be moving on." I tell her my honest feelings. "Thank you for everything."

She nods in acknowledgement. "It was nothing. Do come by to visit sometime, Ikuto."

I nod and rise to leave.

"Oh, Ikuto." Akyuu calls out to me just as I'm stepping through the door, and I turn to look back at her. "Have you said your farewells to Kamishirasawa-san yet?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. She said she wanted to speak to me outside the village, so I decided to say goodbye to her then."

"I see. May luck follow you."

"Thanks."

As I close the door, I hear Akyuu murmur about something being forgotten. _I don't think she's referring to me, I spent nearly the whole morning and most of the afternoon going around saying goodbye to everyone I know in the village._

Akyuu was the last one, apart from Keine. Everyone else wished me good fortune or offered some souvenirs to bring along to my next place... come to think of it, I haven't seen Aya yet. She's bound to show up sooner or later. Hopefully later.

I find Keine waiting just a short distance away from the village gate, wearing a thick red scarf around her neck. Her hands are clasped in front of her, and she's looking at me with a look that's somewhat melancholic.

"Hi, Keine." I greet the moment I'm within speaking range.

"Ikuto..." She says my name softly, then shakes her head slightly. "Have you said goodbye to everyone already?" Keine asks in her usual brisk tone.

"Yep." I run my hand through my hair uncomfortably. "You know, you didn't really have to see me off like this..." I begin.

She cuts me off right away. "Nonsense. You stayed so long with me, it's the least I should do."

"Haha, I guess so. You're a great friend, Keine." _Something feels off... but what? I can't tell._

Once again, the melancholic expression flashes across her face. "I'm... glad to hear that from you."

_Guess I must have grown on her while I was staying at her place. _I notice something in her hands. "Say, what's that you're holding?"

"This?" The school teacher holds it out for me to see.

For a moment, I'm surprised to see a Nendroid in Gensokyo, let alone one of Keine. But a closer look reveals that the thing is carved out of wood, and painted with all the right colors, right down to the trim of her skirt and the markings on her hat. It's kind of cute how it has one hand raised, just like Keine does when she's teaching a lesson.

"Wow, it's really well made." I touch it gingerly, feeling the polished surface. "Who made this?"

"Someone I love."

I look up at her so fast my neck cricks. "Someone you love? Who? And why haven't I seen this before?"

She smiles at me wanly. "A woman has her secrets, Ikuto. But actually..."

Keine tells me about this mystery person, a young man who loved her, but chose to leave the village because he had a desire that trumped their feelings for each other. Before he left, he carved this miniature figurine of her as a parting gift, to express his emotions for her. I'm not sure what to think of her telling this to me, but I can see that she feels really strongly about him, enough to make me feel an empathic heartache.

"Did he... say he would come back?" I ask.

"He didn't have to." Keine's hand closes over the Nendroid. "I know he'll return."

_Wow... this is real fairy tale-love here. _I smile encouragingly. "Well then, if I run across this guy, I'll make sure to tell him that you're waiting for his return."

She nods. "Please do."

Suddenly, someone interrupts us. "Yo, what are you two doing here?" I recognize Mokou's voice.

"I'm leaving to go to the next place." I inform the immortal. "Just saying my farewells to Keine."

"Oh." Mokou stares at me strangely for a moment, then turns to Keine. "Say, want to have a meal together with me?"

Her friend nods. "I'd like that."

_Yes, Mokou, I can take a hint without you flapping your hand at me. _"See you, Keine. Take care."

"You too, Ikuto."

As I walk down the road, I hear the sound of someone sobbing, but it's momentary. Taking a glance over my shoulder, I notice Keine is leaning closely against Mokou.

_I don't think they have THAT sort of relationship, so I'm guessing that Keine must have opened up some painful memories telling me about her lover. _I sigh, feeling the sympathetic pain in my chest again. _Whoever that guy is, he's lucky to have a great girl like Keine. _I stretch my back with an audible grunt, working out the effects of the weight of my bag. _Maybe I'll meet him sometime, and maybe I'll punch him for hurting my friend like that._

But anyway... time to get stronger.

* * *

><p>(1) The Darwin Awards are a list of people who have contributed to the improvement of the gene pool... by removing themselves from it.<p>

(2) Gurren Lagann trademark move. I shall be perfectly honest here... I've NEVER actually watched the anime (stopped around ep 8), and I don't really feel like doing so; too many new stuff keep coming up. But it's popular enough to reach down to me, and by proxy, Ikuto.

Don't post reviews saying 'GO WATCH IT NAO!', because I'll just ignore you and watch something else. I mean it.

(3) Meme coined by The Lonely Island's single "Like A Boss". Since the origin dates before Ikuto first came to Gensokyo, he knows it.

Yeah, I did it. Keine altered history such that Ikuto never confessed to her. Now how does that work with people like Mokou still recalling it while the wooden Nendroid continues to exist, you may ask? First, Keine's production of history is not all-encompassing. It is stated that she cannot alter history that doesn't belong to her, like the Hieda's records after some time, for those belong to the Hieda clan. However, for the Nendroid, it is something that was mainly between Keine and Ikuto, and as such, she can alter history such that 'it was carved' and 'Ikuto did not carve it'. (Sounds like those JoJo explanations...)

At least that's my interpretation. Then again, Touhou fandom is built on these fan interpretations. I saw a doujin where a villager who loved Keine continued to do so even after finding out about her half-youkai nature, but she altered history such that he forgot about it, while she and Mokou still recalled it as well.

You know, as I was writing that part, I was seriously thinking 'Dammit, Yukari', because of the condition 'she' put about having to shift places. Guess I'm really immersed into this story, even though I'm writing randomly. Must be screwy to suddenly get a change in the story mood.

Okay, now that the emotional part is out of the way... seriously, how many of you thought in _that_ sense when you saw the title? Don't be shy to admit it, I'm not going to single you out for being dirty-minded. XD I was adapting this saying from the Baki manga, about how any male, at some point in his life, will want to become the strongest.

As for the fights... reading back through, the saying 'Like A Boss' really does apply.

Fight an Oni... like a boss. Challenge Yuuka... like a boss. Stab yourself... like a boss.

Okay, enough of that.

By the way, I don't really know much about plays, but there's a reason why there are seven steps to Wire Performance's chain of attacks on Yuuka. Here's a hint: it's related to one of Alice's titles. Also, try figuring out the relation to this series of numbers: 1, 6, 4, 5, 2, 3, 7. I thought of it after writing the Second Act, and it explains why Wire Performance stopped working. In a sense.

Some of you might express your disbelief at Yuuka sparing Ikuto, but think of it this way: you don't want to kill the goose that lays golden eggs, do you?

So now, shall we play 'Guess where's Ikuto going next' for real? As a recap for those of you who can't recall, the list of places that Ikuto had in mind in Chapter 37 are:

SDM, Myouren, Yuuka, Nitori.

Now, please take your pick. I know quite a few of you have chosen the SDM already, but feel free to change your choice if that is what you prefer.


	41. Chapter 40: Setting the Groundwork

**So here is where I'll answer people's comments in their reviews.**

**Zap: All of them stem from the completed ring. It's just a matter of mix-and-match to find out the possibilities. Of course, you'll see that in this chapter, he won't be getting any new Keyblade skills anytime soon.**

**someone: I don't mind. Just what sort of references are you going to draw, though?**

**Also, here's the answer to the riddle in the previous chapter. The number corresponds to the steps used in Wire Performance's chain of attacks. Arrange them in that order, and you MAY notice a certain insinuation in them. If you don't, then good for you for not being dirty-minded enough to notice.**

* * *

><p>"As per the condition you stated, I'll give up the key. But I'd like to add one condition, if I may." I keep my tone casual as I speak to Remilia.<p>

The atmosphere around the vampire intensifies slightly. "Oh? And what condition would that be?"

I reach into my pocket and draw out the thing that has helped me through so many scrapes. "Apart from the time when Patchouli wants to experiment with this... which I know she will," I toss it towards Sakuya with a flick of my wrist. "I want Izayoi-san to be the one to hold onto it." I finish as the maid snatches it out of the air without blinking.

"Hm. I can accept that." Remilia raises one eyebrow, then sits up slightly on her throne. "From now on, you will be a tenant of this Scarlet Devil Mansion." She announces in a regal manner.

I place one hand on my chest and bow slightly. "Thank you, Lady Remilia."

"Sakuya, show him to the room he'll be staying in. Explain to him the rules as well."

The silver-haired maid nods and walks towards me, directing me to follow with a glance as she tucks the key away into a pocket.

"And Ikuto..." Remilia calls out just as I'm reaching the door.

I turn and look back at the vampire who runs this place.

"Try not to die."

I acknowledge it with one last nod and leave.

"Try not to die? Tell me she's not going to try and kill me, is she?" I ask Sakuya, who's walking a short distance ahead of me.

"Milady knows of your desire to get stronger, and she has graciously _volunteered_ her aid to that purpose." Sakuya stops and turns around. "I," She places one hand on her chest and bows slightly, the movement I copied unconsciously in front of Remilia, "Meiling, and Patchouli-sama, will be your instructors if that is your desire."

_Oh, that's good. But... wait... wait a fucking minute. _"How does she know what I want?" I demand incredulously.

The maid straightens up and fixes her gaze on me. "Milady may look small, but her intelligence is not to be taken lightly, Ikuto." I can hear a note of warning in her tone.

I shiver slightly as my mind connects the dots. _A smart vampire... a maid who'll train me... _"Oh... you're still not mad about me saying _that_ word, are you?" I ask with trepidation.

She tilts her head to the side slightly and gives me a small smile. "Of course not. Why would I be?"

_Totally unconvincing. I guess this is why Remilia warned me. _

"But in exchange, you have perform jobs as part of the Mansion's staff."

"That's acceptable. Will you be teaching me how to cook? I don't mind learning some new dishes." I reply. _Nothing comes without a price... but what jobs will I be doing anyway? Cleaning? _

Nodding, Sakuya turns and continues onwards. "We'll see. You may be too tired to prepare any proper dishes."

I follow behind her as she ascends the stairs, pondering what she's telling me. "Damn. Is there some sort of schedule?"

"None. I advise you to come up with one on your own. Of course, it will have to satisfy everyone."

_Oh great, more thinking to do... _"So, what other chores do I have to do?"

"Here we are." Sakuya stops in front of a door quite close to the staircase. "You may be called upon to do cleaning, laundry, cooking, running errands-"

Seeing she's waiting for me to open the door, I do so as she's listing the possible tasks.

"Hihi! Can I trouble you for an interview?"

I shut the door instantly, turning my head to look at the maid.

"-and repelling intruders." Sakuya finishes, giving me a look of amusement. "It appears that you have your first job."

"How the heck does she know which room is mine?" I ask the maid suspiciously.

"I would assume a little bird told her." She replies innocently. "Well then, if you'll excuse me. Milady is awaiting her tea."

Before I can stop her, Sakuya vanishes, leaving me to deal with the tengu she threw my way. Seeing as there's no way I can avoid Aya for long, I decide to just bite the bullet and get it out of the way.

_Little bird, she says. Maybe it was a dog instead. _As usual. _When I get stronger, it'll have to be enough to evade Aya for a whole day at least._ I turn the handle and push open the door.

"Good afternoon! Gensokyo's fastest reporter, Aya Shameimaru, at your service!" This time, Aya is standing a lot closer than she was before.

I yank the door shut again. _That was new. Let's try it again._

"Hey there! Mind answering a few questions for me?" Now she's a few meters from the door.

_This is actually kind of interesting._ I close the door and wait a few seconds before opening it yet again.

The tengu's smile is looking a bit stiff now, especially since I can see it up close. "Thanks for agreeing to an interview! Shall we get to it right away?"

This time, when I try to shut the door, Aya's fingers catch the edge, just like that time long ago. Of course, there's no way I can compete with her strength, but it doesn't mean I don't try.

"Hey. Stop screwing around already. Want me to beat you up? Ehhh?" Aya scowls, acting like some gangster. "You owe me an interview, brat."

That did the trick; I start laughing hard enough to let go of the door, and continue to do so even as she grabs my hand and pulls me into the room. It's only when I'm seated on the bed and she's on a chair facing me that I finally stop laughing.

"What was so funny?"

"You." I grin at her. "You sounded very convincing at the end there."

"It worked sometimes." Aya admits.

I look around and take in the room. As expected, the walls are a dull shade of red, with a total of three lamps on the walls to provide light. There's a single window barely big enough for me to sit on the sill comfortably, decorated with dark red curtains. The bed I'm sitting on is a four-poster bed, similar to the one my parents had. Apart from that, the only other furniture are a desk, an empty bookshelf, a closet, and the chair Aya is seated on.

I note the connecting door behind the one that led to this room. _So I get a connecting toilet? That's nice... _"So, how are we going to start?"

Aya instantly regains her energetic nature. "Okay! Let's hear about your opinions on the village first!"

"You do know I can't say anything about its defenses, right? Not all of your readers are youkai that are friendly to humans."

She nods. "Of course. So? What do you think about the village?"

Well, what can I say? The people there are quite friendly and close-knit; I have quite a few human friends in the village, and thanks to them, I know of good places to eat, things worth seeing in the village, and shops that sell interesting stuff. It's amazing how some things from the outside world gets 'copied'... and it makes me wonder how they even get through in the first place.

Aya stops writing and looks up at me with disappointment. "That's not interesting at all..."

"I know, right?"

"Then, then, what about Keine? Did you add her to your harem?"

I facepalm. _That's gonna stick with me for the rest of my time here, isn't it?_ I ask myself rhetorically."No. She has..." I stop. "Nah, if you want the reason, you ask her yourself. I won't talk about her private matters."

"What is it? What is it?" Aya leans forward excitedly. "Tell me, tell me!"

"Hell no." I turn her down flat. "Just write a food review or something, because I certainly won't talk about this."

"Nobody's going to read something like that..."

"Technically, it's my experience of Gensokyo, so I'm allowed to describe whatever I like." I remind her. Seeing that she's still not convinced, I throw out another card. "I've given you two extra articles already. Surely one 'normal' one is okay?"

She doesn't like it, but acquiesces in the end. We spend a while discussing what details to put in, beginning with my experiences at various levels of village life, then my review of certain stores worth visiting, and finally my list of places I was interested in visiting as an outsider, which obviously includes Keine's school. More than once, I get the urge to flick Aya in the forehead when she frowns at what I'm telling her.

_Part of me is pleased that she's taking this so seriously, the other part isn't pleased that she's taking it so seriously. _I comment in my head when she sighs yet again, causing my right hand to tense up for a flick.

But it eventually ends without me flicking anything at all, and Aya leaves through the door instead of through the window. It's only late afternoon, so I leave the room as well to talk to Meiling.

I find her nodding off at the gate, and manage to sneak within one meter of her before she awakes.

"Uhhh~" Meiling stretches her back, and looks at me. "Going out?"

I shake my head. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

She looks at me confusedly for a second, then realizes what I'm talking about. "Hm? Oh, is it about me training you?"

This time, I nod. "Yeah. There are two- no, three things I'd like to be trained in."

Meiling blinks in surprise. "Three? What are they?"

"First, I need to be able to do flips and stuff. It's not really practical, but I just want to learn." _I'm gonna be a ninja! _The part of my brain that says stupid things adds. _Damn, I thought it was gone after that fight with Patchouli._

The gate guard crosses her arms and considers my request for a moment. "Hmmm... what are the other two?"

"The second is martial arts. You probably noticed, but most of my moves are based on having a sword, which I don't have now." _And I don't have all the abilities they bring. _"It might be good to supplement what I know with your kung fu."

Without warning, I flick out a right jab at her face. She swiftly parries it downwards and counters with a punch of her own, which I deflect upwards with my left. As I do so, I left myself fall into the motion, bending my left elbow and stepping forward in a heavy stomp to deal a Chinese-style elbow blow that she catches on her arm.

Meiling skids back about ten centimeters, and scowls at me. "Just WHAT was that for?" She demands.

I return to a normal standing position. "I don't know that much about fighting barehanded. What I do know, comes from stuff I simply imitate. I was hoping you could teach me how you fight."

"Hmph." The redheaded youkai grunts and lowers her guard. "I don't mind. Lady Remilia ordered me to, after all."

_Geh, hope she's not TOO offended by that. _"And the last one-"

"Is Ki. You said so before." Meiling scratches her head, looking unsure about that. "You might not be able to pick it up, you know."

I blink. "Why?" _Is it some kind of secret art that she can't pass on?_

She misunderstands my tone. "No no no, it's not that you can't! It's just that... I never taught anyone how to use Ki before. It's something that just comes to me naturally."

_Damn, that might be troublesome. _"But how did you learn to do all those moves? Surely you have to have received some instruction from someone."

"Errr..." She scratches her head again with a sheepish air. "I... forgot who, actually."

I shake my head, fighting the urge to facepalm. "Well, maybe there are some breathing exercise or some awakening thing to do?"

After a pregnant pause, Meiling smacks her fist into her palm. "Oh yeah, there are!"

The urge to facepalm grows even more. "Okayyy... and how hard are they?"

"They're quite easy, actually! All it takes is-" She suddenly breaks off and looks in the direction of the bridge. "Ahh... that black-white is coming here again."

I look as well, but can't see anything that hints at Marisa's presence. _Cool, that's some range she's got. Maybe I can learn it in place of my radar. _"Okay, I better get going then. I'll come back some time later to talk again."

"Sure." She replies absently, already floating upwards to intercept the witch.

I step back into the mansion and start exploring the place for real. The first time I came, I only explored a small area. The second time, I had a map, but I didn't have the liberty to explore since I had a vampire chasing after me. And every other time after that, Sakuya always led me between the entrance and my destination. So this time, I'm just going around the place getting to know where everything is.

The first floor is mainly taken up by the entrance hall and the library, with doors that lead out to a washing area for laundry. The only other room I consider important on that level is the kitchen, and the remainder rooms are either sitting or dining rooms. _Gotta check the kitchen out for sure. I wonder what stuff they have in there._

The second and third floors both contain a single sitting and dining room each, but they are largely used by the fairy maids, though there aren't that many as the clock tower extends through the third floor while the library reaches up through to the second. And Meiling as well, though judging from the thin layer of dust around the place when I peeked in, she doesn't use it that often. I notice a few training implements lying around, and wonder if I can borrow them.

The fourth floor... there are a few balconies around, but most of the rooms around here are unused, which is why I'm situated on this level. _Man, this place is perfect for playing hide and seek, even without the secret passages. _

Speaking of the secret passages, I considered exploring them... until I remembered that I no longer had my Keyblades with me. I didn't encounter anything dangerous before, but it's not enough for me to judge it as safe. Thus, I decide to ignore them for my stay here, including that chamber with all the keyholes.

The fifth floor is much smaller than the others, since it only exists in the main building with the clock tower. There's a sitting room (once again), but apart from the clock tower mechanism, the rest of the floor is taken up by Remilia's throne room and bedroom. Needless to say, I don't venture there. There's still too much to experience before I go seeking death.

Then of course, there's the basement. Due to Patchouli's map being out of date, I have no idea just how deep it goes. Flan's room is on level B1, along with Patchouli and Koakuma's living quarters, though Patchouli supposedly doesn't use hers. I'm betting that's where the cleaning items are located too, but overall... down there is a freaking MAZE. I'm not entirely sure what level the boiler is on, but I'm estimating it's around B3 at most.

_It doesn't help that the whole place is so big too. Nor the fact that it's practically useless to ask the fairy maids for help. _My fingers twitch as I eye the cheeky fairy floating before me, wondering how it would feel like to crush her skull. _Aha. _"Oh, hi Flan." I say while looking over her shoulder.

The fairy's eyes widen so much that her eyes are nearly popping out, before they roll back in their sockets as she faints, frothing at the mouth.

_Woah, it's SUPER EFFECTIVE! _(1)I stare at the unconscious fairy, before turning around and heading downstairs for the kitchen. _Wonder what Flan did to garner so much fear in the fairy maids? Nah, that's a rhetorical question. She probably blew them up._

I finally reach my destination and "Hmm, so this is the kitchen."

I check a few drawers, and find all sorts of cutlery and other cooking implements, with one containing a wide variety of knives that I don't touch. The pots and pans are in the cabinets, stored separately from the dishes, and there's a pantry for the dry foods. But what catches my attention most are the fridge and stoves.

_Wow, this is big... I've never seen something so big. _The fridge is more like a freezer, with one side of the double doors as big as me. I grab the handle and tug it open, and am met with a cool blast of air. _Man, that's... cold. Oh, so this is the side for normal foods and fruit... then the other... it's a freezer. Wonder where does the power come from?_

I get my answer when I turn to examine the stove next; at first it appears like one of those electric stoves, but I realize that the circles there are actually magic sigils, each linked to a smaller circle that's probably the control switch. I almost attempt to try them out before realizing that not only do I know nuts about how it works, but it wouldn't be a good first impression on my host if I were to accidentally burn down her home.

_Then again, I bet there's some anti-fire spells around. So... I just have to wait here for-_

"What are you doing in the kitchen?"

_Bingo._ I turn to look at Sakuya. "I just wanted to know some things. Like, can I leave to go to the village or anything?"

"You're allowed to do so if that is what you wish."

I can tell by her tone and expression that she thinks I'm already trying to skip out on my training. _She's got a bad impression of me, I guess. _"Maybe next time. There are stuff I need to prepare before I start training with everyone here, but they can wait. For now... can you teach me some dishes, Izayoi-sama?" I ask hopefully.

Sakuya stares at me when I use that honorific with her, before shaking her head and walking past me. "Fine. But don't use -sama with me."

"Okay."

She uses her ability to instantly set out all of the needed ingredients, and walks me through the process of making... omelet rice. I was expecting some high-style meal, and she makes a simple dish? I feel kind of let down. I'll learn some of her repertoire next time for sure.

After a quiet dinner alone, I head for the library where Patchouli is already waiting for me. "So where is this ring you were telling me about?" She asks with a note of interest in her voice.

I hold out my hand in front of her face, and she touches it with fingers roughened from handling books and flipping pages over countless years.

"Indeed, I can feel much more magic from this than I do from you."

_Ouch. My magical artifact has more magic than I do. _"It came from Cirno."

The sorceress gives me a disbelieving look. "That ice fairy made this? Surely you jest."

I shake my head. "It's more like I borrowed hers to make this."

"Hmm," Patchouli looks back at the ring. "Given the odd nature of your abilities, I suppose it might be possible." Her eyes narrow slightly. "How inefficient."

"Sorry?"

"You say this ring creates swords of ice, did you not?" I nod in response to Patchouli's question. "The magic used to force them into that shape is rough and inefficient... it's barely worthy of the magical artifact title." Her tone itself speaks volumes.

_Double ouch. A crappy magical artifact has more magic than I do. _"So... can you fix it or something?"

Patchouli grunts. "I suppose I can." She spares a hand to indicate a chair nearby. "Take a seat."

After I do so, she starts drawing a magic circle containing a six-pointed star on the desk with a stick of chalk, occasionally glancing at my hand as she chalks in symbols and stuff I don't recognize while muttering under her breath.

"Okay, put your hand in there, and be careful-"

"-not to mess up the circle, I know." _Basic logic by now. It's like pulling a card out of a house of cards. The whole thing comes crashing down._

As she works on the ring, Patchouli starts explaining about the basics mechanics. Apparently the ring didn't feed off my miniscule store of magic, but absorbed the ambient amount in the surroundings at a slow rate. What magic I had, only served as a trigger for the thing.

"Wake up. How can anyone sleep while someone else is talking?"

"I'm awake... I'm awake." I mutter as awareness returns to me. _Gah, I fell asleep. _"Oh... it's kind of a habit for me to sleep when I'm not active."

"Strange habit to have. As I was saying..."

What was inefficient about the ring is not just the fact that a large amount of the stored magic was wasted in the forcible conversion of energy to ice, but that it could store a lot more energy per charge. She seems really offended by the degree of wastage involved, and I receive an annoyed glare from her quite a few times, as if blaming me for doing such crappy work.

_It could also have been Cirno. Who knows whether fairies know how to wield their powers properly. _I keep that thought to myself.

"You really do sleep easily, don't you?" Patchouli calls me out of my sleep again.

"Huh? Oops." I say sheepishly. "I must be narcoleptic."

"Hmph." Patchouli releases my hand. "Okay, I've made modifications to the spell frame, so try it and see what happens."

Standing up, I check the ring. _Four charges. Let's give it a shot. _With that, I snap my fingers.

Nothing happens; there's no blade of ice in my hand. "It didn't work."

"Actually, it did." Patchouli's eyes are fixed on something behind me, so I turn around to see what she's looking at. "Mukyu!"

Seeing nothing and hearing Patchouli yelp, I turn back to see the sorceress lying on the ground. "Woah, what happened?" I go onto my knees and help her sit up.

"You could turn your head just to see it, you know." She tells me grumpily.

This time, I see the small ice crystals that are floating behind me, two on each side. Apparently they knocked into her when I turned around. Unlike the swords I made, they are short and compact, about the length of my open hand and as thick as my thumb. I barely form the thought of reaching out for one of them when the crystal I was intending to grab flies into my hand; it doesn't feel cold, but the energy in them is unmistakable.

"Am I... still human? I'm not turning into an ice fairy, am I?"

"You're not." Patchouli gets to her feet. "Those ice crystals are containers for the collected magic."

I release the crystal and it floats back to its position. "So... I should still be able to form swords?"

"Are swords all you can think of?"

_You don't have to sound so condescending... _I call another crystal into my left hand, and focus on the shape I want it to take. It responds extremely quickly, expanding and warping to become a 1/2 scale version of Patchouli. _Huh, it worked!_

"Not very well done." Patchouli says critically. "It's hollow and flimsy."

She raps it with a hand, and the whole thing shatters into a pile of ice flakes.

"Looks like the volume of ice I can make is the same." I observe. "What happens if I break one?"

"Test that over there." She points at a wide space where a magic circle is printed into the carpeting, before proceeding to clear the pile with a bit of fire. "I advise staying outside the circle when you do."

_That sounds like a really good suggestion. _Taking her advice, I stay outside the circle and toss a crystal in. _Break!_ I send the signal mentally, but the crystal simply cracks slightly. _Hmm... poor connection? Let's try again. BREAK! _To enhance my focus, I form a hand seal like a ninja.

This time, the crystal shatters in a burst of blue-white light that forces me to shut my eyes. When I open them, the entire circle is coated with a thick layer of white frost, even outlining an invisible wall around the edges.

"The destruction of constructed magic is always spectacular if done improperly." Patchouli says from somewhere behind me.

"Wow. So... is it possible for me to use that same magic power in different elements the way you do?"

"Perhaps." Patchouli concedes. "But not tonight," She adds when I yawn without meaning to, "Attempting to work magic when you aren't alert is dangerous as well."

"Okay." I yawn again, and wave my left hand as I head for the stairs. "Thanks for all this. I'm going to be counting on your help from now on too."

There's no reply. I make my way up to my room as the fairies start pouring out around the place, me and them mutually ignoring each other. Once I'm back in my room, I take a quick bath, dry off and change into my sleepwear. Sleep claims me quickly once I get into the bed.

* * *

><p><em>"Yo, Ikuto." Komachi greets me lazily when I appear in the middle of her house, leaning against the door frame. "Look who's waiting for you."<em>

_The 'who' she's talking about turns out to be Suika, who grabs onto me happily. "Heyyy... whatcha' been up to, Ikuto?" Of course, she's drunk._

_I pat the little oni's head. "I told you already, remember? I'm staying at the Scarlet Devil Mansion now."_

_I can feel her swaying slightly through our contact. "Oh yeah. Can I come play?"_

_"You gotta ask them. I'm just a guest there."_ Cute as ever.

_"Uguu~ then let's just play here!"_

_"Sure." I look over at Komachi. "Is Iku here?"_

_"She should be-" Her head turns to look outside. "Speak of the devil, she's here."_

Huh, so the passive form of 'create a rumor' in Japanese translates directly to 'speak of the devil' in my mind. That's an interesting discovery to make. _"Cool. What are we going to do then?"_

_Komachi shrugs. "Let's just talk, I guess?"_

_"Good day to you, Ikuto." Iku greets me as she walks through the door, and notices Suika. "So is this where you have been, Ibuki-san?"_

_Suika gives a negative answer with a wave of her gourd. "Nah, I just came 'cause Ikuto's left the village."_

_The oarfish looks at me questioningly._

_"Yukari's deal." I explain, "I'm supposed to stay at various different places, and I judged that it was my time to go. How've you been?" I change the subject._

_"There are no impending disasters, so-"_

_Suika picks that moment to interrupt. "Ah, okay okay! We get it already, so let's start playing some games!"_

_I mouth 'sorry' at an offended looking Iku, and push Suika down into a seated position. "Say, Iku, how's Tenshi doing?" I ask as I join her on the floor to her left._

_Suika snaps her fingers suddenly. "Oh yeah! Haven't been up there lately. How's the brat?"_

_Iku stares at me, then unexpectedly starts giggling silently while looking away from me. _

_"That... doesn't sound reassuring." Komachi comments, taking her place as well. "So, what will it be? Cards? Or speech games?"_

_"It has to have drinking!" Suika insists._

Lucky I don't get drunk easily when I drink as a spirit. Seriously though, where does all the stuff I eat and drink go? This is a blatant disregard of the laws of physics! _And as if to emphasize that, I hear Sanae's voice telling me that common sense doesn't work in Gensokyo. "So," I try to get Iku to answer the question, "Just what has Tenshi been up to?"_

_The question sends her into another fit of silent giggling, and I feel the urge to find out declines a little._

_"Oh come on, just what's so funny about this?" I ask, noting that the annoyance I'm feeling is inversely proportional to my urge to know._

_"The Eldest Daughter has taken to carrying around a piece of paper, and is prone to periods of inattentiveness while holding it in her hands." Iku answers in her usual stoic manner before breaking down into giggles again, this time with a bit of sound._

_"Heh~ That sounds like something I've gotta see for myself." Suika drawls._

_"Ikuto? Why are you resting your head in your hands? Is there something wrong?" Komachi asks curiously._

I'm seriously hoping that piece of paper is not the food voucher... seriously. _I lift my head up to look at the pink-dressed youkai. "So... anything else other than that?"_

_"It appears that she wants to look for you again, but somehow refrains from doing so." Iku says primly as she sits down on my left, forming the circle of four._

_I sink my head back into my hands again. _It's Yukari. It has to be Yukari. That's the only way to explain this. _I look up and to my right, where the oni is wearing a wide grin. "Suika, gimme the gourd."_

_"Hiyo~" She tosses it to me, and I grab, uncork, and bring it to my mouth in one smooth motion, taking quite a few gulps before putting it back down._

_"I don't get it." Komachi's wearing a frown. "Is she bothering you again?"_

_"Err... I don't think you can call it 'bothering' in this case." I try to avoid saying it right out, but the other two find my words extremely funny for some reason. "Okay already, can we just get on with playing some games?" I sound grumpy even to myself._

_By my estimation, I have a maximum of four hours of time to kill here. Apparently there's some lag between the time I sleep and the time I appear here, or it could be the other way round, or it could be divided amongst both parts. Whatever the case, the amount of time I'm asleep is a lot more than the amount of time I can spend here._

And that bed was so comfy too... I wouldn't be surprised if my spirit took its time coming here so it could enjoy that bed. _"So... shiritori it is." I announce the final decision to nods all around. _That took about ten minutes? I'm not sure.

_Shiritori. The name explains it all; 'shiri' means 'butt', while 'tori' means 'take' or 'grab'. Weird interpretations aside, it's a word game where the players attempt to create a chain using the last character of the previous word. It's a good way to analyze this translation spell I have on me. Anyway, the conditions to lose are either to use the same word, or to use a word ending with the consonant 'n', which cannot be used at the beginning of a new word._

_"So what conditions are we going with?" I inquire._

_"Mmm... what was it last time? I can't recall." Komachi mutters, thinking hard._

_"If I may make a suggestion?"_

_The rest of us look at Iku. "Go ahead."_

_Her posture doesn't move, but her ever-floating scarf bobs a bit. "The words named has to be related to anything that is within this house. Verbs are allowed as well."_

_"That's fine with me!" Suika says, taking another gulp from her gourd._

_"Same here." Komachi adds, and I nod my assent as well._

_"Then, shall I begin?" Iku looks around to confirm that decision, before starting off the game. "Kuuki (Atmosphere). Ikuto." She directs the puck to me next._

_"Ki... Ki..." _Oh shit, I can't think of anything right now! _"Um... Kiguu (Unexpected meeting)." _

_There's a moment of silence as the others analyze my choice to see if it's wrong, before Suika picks up her role as the next player. "Uta (Song)."_

Well, we did sing some songs here before. _I shrug and look at Komachi._

_"Tatami (Floor mat)." The shinigami throws out the easy one._

_"Mystery. (Misuto-ri)" Iku brings up the time when we engaged each other in solving puzzles, making Komachi and I grin._

_"Ri..." I catch myself just as I'm about to say 'ribbon', which would have been my loss. "Riku (Shore)." _The house is on the shore of the Sanzu river, after all.

_"It has to be inside the house." Iku shoots down my choice._

_"What? Why? Ah, never mind." I hold out my hand and a plate of sake is placed in it. "Let's just go on." I say after draining it dry, "Iku." I grin at the oarfish, who returns a small smile of her own._

_Suika shakes her arm, making her wrist accessory clink. "Kusari (Chain)."_

_"Risou (Ideal)." Komachi uses the word that describes the existence of this house as a place for her to slack off._

_Iku's contribution is the thing that brought her here in the first place. "Uwasa (Rumor)."_

_"Sannichi (Three days)." Mine is the interval between my visits._

_"Chichi (Breasts)." Suika's word makes me snort, especially since she's looking at Komachi's chest while patting her own._

_The shinigami raises an eyebrow at the oni, then opens up her front until I can nearly see a pink area. "Chikubi (Nipple)."_

_I facepalm as Iku contributes the next one, "Bishoujo (Pretty girl)."_

_"Joke (Jo-oku)." I counter the claim, making all three of them glare at me in their various ways. _Heh.

_"Kuchibiru (Lips)." Suika licks her lips, now looking at me sultrily._

Don't you dare start anything here! _I shoot a worried look at Iku, who returns it with a bland stare._

_"Rusu (House sitting)."_

_"Suki (I like you)." Even without having to look, I can tell that the word wasn't said in general, but directed at me._

_This time, Iku is the recipient of everyone's stares, and no one is speaking as Iku looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something as Suika slides over a filled dish as an indication that it was a wrong word. Iku drinks it without taking her eyes off me._

Let's just pass on it for now. _"Uhh... Kizuna (Bond)." I say, keeping my eyes fixed on hers._

_"Nakama (Comrades)."_

_"Manko."_

_Instantly, Komachi takes the spotlight for saying that word. Then things go downhill from there._

_With Suika plying the rest of us with sake, the conditions are soon forgotten and we're just throwing out word after word, walking through mistakes just to throw in our own word. Suika in particular does it three times in a row, probably on purpose so she can drink. On the other hand, Iku hardly seems drunk, and I can feel her perpetual stare on me as I go in and out of an inebriated state._

_"O...Okosu (To violate)." Komachi hiccups._

_"Sushi."_

_"Shinigami." I pass it on with a quick glance at the ever-watching oarfish._

_"Mitomeru~ (To recognize)." Suika drawls, and takes another drink._

When did it turn from drinking after a mistake to drinking after passing it on? _I wonder fuzzily. _How long has it been? Can't tell.

_In the middle of the game, we suddenly start slipping conversation into the whole thing. It's totally confusing with the way we try to weave sentences into the game; trying not to mess up the flow of the game is practically impossible. _

_"Niku (Meat). Speaking of meat, I feel like having some yakiniku next time."_

_"Sounds nice, count me in. Cookie (Ku-ki-)."_

_That doesn't mean we don't try though. The addictiveness of such simple games is amazing..._

_Things are totally out of hand now; sometimes we skip turns, or take more than one. There are also cases where two of us speak at the same time, and the pair will try to decide who was in the right before the next person steps in to take up the reins of the game again._

_Amazing how a simple game of shiritori between four people can become like this when you throw alcohol into the mix. _

Wait... when did it become strip shiritori? _I look left and right, noting that everyone, myself included, seems to be missing some articles of clothing. _I'm time-slipping! Woot!

_Komachi's the one with the most obvious state of nudity; her front is entirely open. Suika's skirt is off, but she's still wearing her underpants. And Iku... I have no idea how she pulled it off without me noticing, but apart from her hat, the only thing she's wearing is her scarf, strategically arranged to wrap around the naughty bits. Due to my blurred vision and the similar colors, I don't realize until I look directly at her._

When did she have the time to take off her clothes and wrap the scarf around her body? Ooh, pretty good size she has there. _I wonder if I blacked out at some point in time earlier without realizing it, and woke up in the same way._

_"Ikuto~" Komachi slurs, reaching across to grab at the front of my shirt... only to fail because I had already taken it off. "You wanna look, look at mine~" Her fingers scrabble on my chest uselessly, and she keeps doing it._

_"Nyahaha~"_

_"Perhaps we should stop this? I think it's getting out of control."_

Wait, something about that sounds wrong. What could it be... think... that was Iku speaking... _My eyes widen in amazement. _Iku... just used a contraction. OMG!

_"Eh, fine. Let's go one more round then!" Suika smirks. "Clitoris (Kuritorisu)!"_

_I attempt to facepalm, only to miss and run my hand through my hair instead._

_Komachi's swaying, but she still retains enough of her mental faculties to continue the game. "Stalker (Suto-ka-)."_

_I turn to look at Iku, who has a strange expression on her face._

_"Aishite- (I love-)_

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Ikuto. Did you have a nice sleep?" Sakuya greets me when I sit up in response to her presence in my room.<p>

I freeze up at that question. "Uh... well, it's a very comfy bed." I say unconvincingly.

"I'm sure it is. You slept right through quite the racket last night."

"Anyway, thanks for waking me up. I'll go and get changed now."

"As you wish." Sakuya leaves the room without bowing.

The bathroom is simple, a sink, a toilet bowl, and a bathtub with heated water. There's a cabinet nearby filled with clean towels, both large and small. I use a small one to wash my face and wipe down most of my body, choosing to forego a proper bath.

_Was that... real? Did Iku start making moves on me? And is Tenshi crushing for me? _Alcohol doesn't carry over between my spirit and my real body, which is why, for what might be the first time in my life, I'm wishing for a drink. _Interruptions... how should I handle this?_

Whatever the case, I change and walk out of the room, where Sakuya is waiting for me. She directs me to the kitchen, where there's already a bowl of porridge waiting.

"So, what happened last night?"

"Milady held another party, that's all."

I gulp down another spoon of porridge before speaking, "You made it sound as though somebody invaded the place."

"My apologies for not being clear enough."

Sakuya's attitude towards me is still cool, a big contrast from how Iku was acting-

_Shit, stop thinking about it! You're just gonna give yourself a headache! _"It's fine, it's foolish to expect to understand someone without any problems. And since I'm going to stay here for a while, it's best if we get to know each other, right?"

"Perhaps."

I'm a bit taken aback by how Sakuya's treating me; she seems determined to keep our relationship purely formal. _Should I act like one of those busybody types? ...Naaah. _"Oh well. Thanks for the food. I'll wash the bowl myself, and I'm going out to the village later."

"You're not allowed to have your key even if you leave the Mansion."

"Che." _I kind of expected that. _"I should be fine, I guess."

Sakuya nods. "Be careful."

"Hey now, when you say that, you actually make it sound like you care." I quip.

"Should I cut you?" The maid brings out a knife in each hand.

"Then you'll have to wash the bowl yourself, and clean the floor too, because there'll be a lot of blood all over the place." I walk over to the sink and start washing the bowl and spoon. _Another tsundere? Or is this a kuudere?_

Once I'm done, I say my farewells to Sakuya and Meiling as I leave the place, and cross the bridge. It's still quite chilly, but most of the snow has already melted, resulting in lots of mud. I hate mud.

"Hey! Who goes there? Aye'm the strongest ice fairy, Cir- ohh! It's you, Second!"

_So nine comes after two for Cirno? _I turn in the direction of the voice. "'Sup, Ninth."

"Hehe~ Are you going to test me again?"

I shake my head. "Not this time. But I do have something I want to talk about."

The ice fairy flies over eagerly. "What is it? Is there someone strong to fight?"

"I'm going to train myself really hard and become even stronger." I thrust my left hand out in a fist in front of Cirno. "Then we'll fight and see who's the stronger one!"

"Heh! That's just what Aye wanted! Fine then! Aye'll train really hard too!" She imitates my pose.

This time, I'm prepared for the shock that comes when our fists touch each other; I had two charges on my ring, but when I pull it back, I notice that it's fully charged. _So it's possible to recharge from Cirno. Useful to know._

"Till next time then!"

"Yeah!" Cirno pumps both fists. "Aye'll show you that Aye'm the strongest!"

I resume walking down the muddy path. "Do your best." _I'll do mine._

I'm walking through the forest when someone new calls out to me. "Hey, you're that guy from the outside, aren't you?"

I look around the place, trying to figure out who had spoken, when I noticed the out-of-place tree. It's the only one with leaves around, and it's moving slightly. _Who would... wait... child-like voice. Tree. _

"Do I have the pleasure of speaking to a goddess?" I ask on a hunch.

"Hahaha! That's right!" The tree vanishes and a small girl jumps out of the ground to land... on a lily pad that sprouted in front of me in an instant. "Suwako Moriya, that's my name!"

The small goddess is wearing a sleeveless purple overshirt decorated with pictures of frogs over a white top with large, flowing sleeves, and a similarly purple skirt with the same decoration. Beneath her large, distinctive light brown hat with two eyes on it, is a thin childish face with large brown eyes framed by shoulder-length blond hair tied with red string into a single lock on each side. Despite her deceptively young appearance, her presence has power, and while her eyes have a joking light to them, they speak of centuries of experience.

Suwako crouches down on the lily pad with her hands flat in front of her, just like a frog. "Identifying me as a goddess right away, you must have some good senses there!"

I wave my hand in denial. "Nah, I just heard about you from Sanae. I thought you were the type to stay inside all the time."

"That blabbermouth..." The loli goddess mutters ominously, "Just what has she been saying about me?"

"...I forgot." I say as innocently as I can.

She chuckles, shaking a finger at me. "Now now, lying to a goddess isn't good, you know? You just might get cursed."

"Really..." I turn my head slightly, and punch myself in the forehead hard enough to daze myself a little. "Okay... now I really forgot."

"..." Suwako looks at me disbelievingly.

"What? I'm telling the truth this time!"

"Heh... Heh heh, Hahahaha!" She leaps up with her arms spread out wide, and the lily pad vanishes just like the tree had. "You're a weird guy! So... how's the outside world like now?" Suwako asks as she lands on her feet.

_No mud on them. That's some useful power, controlling the earth. _"How was it like before you came here?" I counter.

"Dunno. I'm the type to stay inside all the time, remember?" She throws my words back at me.

I dodge that by starting to walk again. "Mind walking with me? Anyway, I lived in a different country from Japan, so I don't really know."

"Ooo, what country is that?" Suwako walks alongside me in an exaggerated manner, keeping her knees locked as her upper body rocks back and forth.

"A very small island. But you know, technology has progressed enough that people can communicate over long distances."

"Oh, you mean cellphones? Sanae used to have one before we came here."

Seeing that she only knows about cellphones, I explain about the Internet, omitting the mention of Rule 34 (2), and answering the questions she poses. She's smart enough to see how it was able to lead to a decrease in faith after I give a few enlightening answers.

"This 'Internet' thing you speak of... it must be a tool of the heretics against the gods." Suwako says so seriously that I nearly break out laughing.

"Who knows..." I grin at her. "The kappas are probably capable of creating something like it. I think it's probably due to corruption from an outside source..." I think for a moment, recalling stuff from my life before Gensokyo. "Yep, it definitely has to be that." I tell her in a serious manner.

"That?" My conversation partner asks suspiciously.

"Angra Mainyu (3). But the last I heard, it was in an artifact known as the Holy Grail, though that was destroyed."

Suwako's eyes narrow. "Are you lying to me?"

"Well, it's just hearsay, so it might be true, or it might be false, you know?" I smirk at her.

"Divine punishment!" She jumps up and kicks me in the back, making me stumble forward.

"Hey!" I turn around to see her smirking at me. "...okay, I know I deserved that." I check my back to confirm that there's no mud on it.

She crosses her arms with a triumphant expression. "Good!"

"Anyway, how about you?" I turn the spotlight back on her. "How's your..." I cough delicately, "Giant robot?"

The goddess stiffens, her expression cracking. "Gkk! H-h-how do you know about that!"

"I hear there's a girl who's unrestrained by common sense... perhaps it also applies to keeping secrets?" _Sorry, Sanae. _"Oh, look at the time! I better get going!" I start sprinting down the road as fast as I can. "Trololololol! (4)"

"Wha?" I hear Suwako say in shock.

_Yep, saying weird things to throw people off balance is such a great tactic! _I just need to run for about another ten minutes to reach Eientei, so... _I hear a rumbling... uh oh. _I chance a look behind me.

"You won't get away!" The goddess of the earth is riding giant stone frog that's flowing over the ground, wearing a determined grin as she comes after me.

_Man, that's moving really fast! She's going to catch up within a minute! _I put on another burst of speed.

A slight hum is all the warning I get; I immediately dodge to the side, barely avoiding a metal hoop that goes flying through where my head was. "THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED ME, YOU CRAZY GIRL!" I manage to yell before I dodge to the other side to avoid it as it comes back.

"That's divine punishment too!" She calls back jokingly.

I continue running, sparing a glance for the poor tree the hoop reflected off. _That really would have killed me if it hit the back of my head with that kind of force. I must be jaded if a yell is all the reaction I produce... not sure if that's a good thing._

"GOTCHAAAAAA!"

I stop abruptly and duck. Suwako flies overhead and sinks into the ground as though it was water, before popping back out a meter ahead of her entry point. By then, I'm already sprinting again, and she turns just as I pass her.

"Pretty fast moves you- huh?" I hear her exclaim in surprise when she sees that I'm not where I stopped. "Hey!"

_Ouch... sudden braking and accelerating really hurts my legs. _I grit my teeth and force my body to continue moving.

Just what sort of sight must it be, a man being pursued by a young girl in a weird hat riding on a stone frog that slides across the ground, I wonder? Well, it's obvious she's playing with me, since she can fly faster than I do, or use other methods to capture me. That doesn't mean she sticks to the same things.

"HOLY SHIT!" I roar after I dodge a sudden tree sprouting from the ground. "DON'T AIM FOR MY ASS!"

"But I hear it feels good?" Suwako calls from behind.

"WHERE THE HECK DID YOU HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THATTTT?"

"Kanako said so."

"USO DAAAAAAAAAAAA! (5)" I yell back she tries to deflower my butt a few more times.

My legs are burning now... my condition has really declined from the time I was at Hakugyokurou, if a long sprint like this is wearing me out. But I'm finally entering the Bamboo Forest by now.

"Giant laser!" Suwako releases a straight blast of water from her feet after jumping ahead of me, slowing her speed slightly as she attempts to maneuver the geyser to hit me.

"THAT AIN'T A LASER!" I manage to tsukkomi (6) her even as I run.

The sound of the water vanishes, and I hear no more sounds of pursuit, which means she must be coming from underneath. But I catch sight of something that gives me hope.

_Eientei sighted! Nearly! The door's open! Good! _I force one last burst out of my legs and jump into a straight dive with my arms outstretched...

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAF-FGH!" Only to knock into a Suwako that suddenly pops up from the ground before me.

There's some crashing as we slam into the open dining room, and my exhausted body refuses to respond any further when I try to get away from Suwako... leaving me in a very compromising position with the goddess of the Moriya shrine.

That is, with my lips pressed against hers as my body straddling hers.

_Qualification for eroge protagonist, obtained! _The insane personality in my mind pumps his fist triumphantly, before drooping. _Oh wait, you already have it._

"Ikuto?"

_I recognize that voice. No compromising position is ever complete without someone to witness it. Solution... pretend to faint. _It's not difficult seeing as my body is tired.

"You're not fooling me." Eirin speaks from somewhere to my right. "I knew you and Suika are an item, but to think you would embrace pedophilia to the extent of violating any young girl..."

I push myself off and look up. "Puhaaa! You got it wrong! You got it wrong!" I protest desperately. "This isn't what it looks like!"

Eirin raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the act of attacking me like this. "Oh? Are you telling me it doesn't look like you snatched a young girl off the street, ran away so fast that your pants are splattered with mud, and came here to violate her?"

My head droops, putting my eyes in a position to see a hatless Suwako covering her mouth with the back of her hand and looking aside embarrassedly.

"Please... be gentle." She lifts up her hand enough to show me an evil smirk.

"FUKOU DAAAAAAAAAAAAA! (7)"

* * *

><p>"Man, ya really have the worst luck, huh? Need me to give ya some -usa?" Tewi pats my back consolingly, but I can tell she's got a big smirk on her face.<p>

"Whatever... I don't care already..." I groan with my head resting on the edge of the food tray.

"You should! After all, not many people can say they kissed a goddess!" Suwako's voice points out from across the table.

"I don't think that's helping, Moriya-sama." Reisen says wryly.

"I wonder, Ikuto, have you developed a desire for some _frog_ legs?" Eirin snipes as well.

"Ohh! I see! So it's not about going after _fresh_ meat?" Suwako says excitedly.

"There is that too. Perhaps _sake_ alone wasn't enough. You have to have some food to go with it too, right?"

_I wish I had my key. I'd bring out Wavebreaker Form Two, and shoot myself in the head._ "Can we drop this already?" I demand, annoyed.

"**But it's just so fun**." Eirin and Suwako reply at the same time.

_Great, another girl who likes to tease me. _"No, seriously. And stop looking under the table, my face is up here, not at my hips." _A guy saying stuff like that... dammit._

After explaining matters (through a whole lot of ribbing), my pants were put into the wash while I cleaned up the mud I tracked into the place, while Suwako just watched since her powers left her completely clean. My body's already feeling the burn of that exertion, resulting in Eirin giving me one of her medicines to speed up my recovery.

"Ikuto," Kaguya calls my name, "You have moved to a new location already?"

"Yeah... the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

Reisen gasps. "Isn't that place dangerous?"

"I intend to manage." I answer grimly, then start speaking cheerily again. "Anyway, _itadakimasu~!_"

All the exercise left me feeling a bit hungry, especially since the food prepared here is delicious. Thankfully, Eirin stops with the verbal attacks while we're eating. Mokou's not around, probably back at her house doing her own stuff. I should look in on her later.

"By the way, I thought Sanae would cook you breakfast back at your shrine?" I ask Suwako.

"How rude! Can't a goddess enjoy offerings from somewhere else for once?"

"Fine, forget I asked."

Tewi and Suwako seem to be hitting it off well; I suppose it's due to both of them having a prankster nature in common, like the time Suwako crashed that festival just to engage in some danmaku. Reisen is somewhat leery of the child goddess, but Eirin doesn't seem particularly affected, probably due to her age-

"Ikuto, you just thought something rude, didn't you?"

"What? No, I didn't." As usual, I throw out the small lie easily without batting an eyelid. _That's some scary intuition._ "I was just imagining you in a different hairstyle." _Side ponytail? Small braids?_

Eirin reddens a little, knowing exactly how I liked to appreciate it when she changes her hairstyle.

"Hoho~ Too much for one woman, huh..."

I put a small clump of rice on my thumb and flick it at Suwako, who had spoken. She tries to dodge, but I manage to catch her on the cheek.

"Ikuto, stop being childish." Eirin scolds.

"She started it."

Surprisingly, Reisen interrupts. "Actually, you are the one at fault, Ikuto."

"Why me?"

"Because she's speaking the truth." Eirin and Kaguya nod in agreement, blushes going all around except for two of them.

Tewi and Suwako roar with laughter as I facepalm. _This sucks. I can't win._

I mutter under my breath about prankster rabbit youkais and irritating child goddesses as I dig into my second breakfast savagely.

"Ah, he's sulking."

_Don't get pulled in... don't get pulled in..._

"Tewi, that's enough." Reisen says firmly, finally taking my side.

"But it's just so fun -usa." The prankster replies innocently, saying the same thing Eirin and Suwako did earlier.

_Damn it. _I finish the rest of my food. "I'm done. Eirin, I'll wait for you in your pharmacy."

Thankfully, Eirin arrives alone, without Suwako. I tell her about my intended training schedule, and she immediately starts recommending balms, painkillers and energy tonics to deal with the deliberate damage I would be doing to my body.

"Toxicity profile?" I inquire as I pick up a small bottle of black pills.

"Minimal, of course." She answers in an offended tone.

I turn my head to grin at her. "Just teasing you. Really, no adverse effects, no addiction, no toxic effects... within the safe dosage," I amend the last one, "All of your medicines defy the laws of common sense." I put the bottle back down onto the counter.

"You make it sound like a bad- MMPH!" Eirin gets cut off mid-sentence when I pull her in for a sudden kiss.

She stiffens up at first, but returns my show of affection soon enough, putting one hand behind my head to deepen it further. My hands are also roaming over her body, caressing her limbs, when...

We both break away at the same time, looking at different parts of the room, I at the ceiling, Eirin at the door.

"Tewi."

"Moriya-san."

"**Get out.**" We say at the same time.

Giggling emits from both locations, fading off into the distance as the two voyeurs flee the scene. I exchange an uncomfortable look with Eirin, who's buttoning up her front with flushed cheeks.

"You really have a talent of throwing people off..." She mutters, making me smirk.

Forcing some uncomfortable thoughts into my mind to deal with a more uncomfortable anatomical problem, I get back to business. "So... any interactions between these?"

Eventually, I spend more than half of my money on assorted drugs and balms, despite Eirin making an uncharacteristic offer to give me them for free. She doesn't say it, but I can tell she's worried about me being with a vampire. Two vampires.

_Should I ask her for some anti-psychotic medicines? But then again, vampire physiology is different from a human's... _I give Eirin one last peck on the cheek before leaving.

Reisen is more vocal, but I assure her that I'll do my best to stay safe. Kaguya just wishes me good luck and tells me to come visit once in a while... and she finally asks me to get her a new game. Maybe Mario Kart Racing would be good, I can laugh at her on the Rainbow Road track (8).

I don't tell any of them that the key has been confiscated from me.

On the other hand... Mokou sees right through me when I drop by her place. With the added misfortune of having Suwako along as she ambushed me outside Eientei.

"You're hiding something." She says bluntly after I told her that I had moved to the SDM.

"Well, it's certainly not this childish goddess hanging off my back." I joke, just before she grabs the front of my shirt.

"Out with it."

"Ooh~ What, four women aren't enough for you, so you added one more?" My passenger picks that moment to interrupt. "You sure got guts letting them know."

"Moriya-sama, you aren't helping, so please shut up." _That's going to be a running joke with her. _"One of the conditions of my stay... was to give up the key." I admit.

Mokou slaps me. "Get out of there. Now."

I turn my head back to look her in the eyes. "No."

"You know what that blonde vampire can do!" She snaps back, "And not just her! Are you saying you can deal with two vampires without any weapons?"

I nod. "I can." I tell her firmly. _I must._

She stares me in the eyes for a moment before closing them and turning away. "Do what you like. Idiot!"

Seeing as she has nothing more to say, I take my leave.

"Say..."

"What? You're still here?" I ask of the young girl hanging off my back. "Don't you have to get back to your shrine?"

"Who's gonna make me?" The grin is evident in her voice. "But you know... you sure sounded convincing back there. Even I was nearly fooled."

"Tch." _Can't fool someone as old as her._

The pressure on my ribs increases a little. "How odd, I could have sworn somebody was asking for divine punishment." Suwako remarks innocently.

_Damn it! It's like being well-aged gives you the ability to tell if someone is commenting about it. _"You must be mistaken. And seriously, are you going to ride on my back all the while?"

"Ehh~? But didn't you do the same with that oni before?"

"That's like so damn long ago!" I snap in reply. "And how'd you know about that?"

Suwako chuckles. "That shrine maiden told me. Wish I could've seen that, an oni being kidnapped by a human."

"Then what do you call this, a human getting possessed by a goddess?"

"Hmm... that about sums it up, yes."

_I really should keep my mouth shut around her. _"Do whatever you want. I'm going into the village anyway."

"Mm, mm!" A shaking motion conveys her nodding. "That's a smart decision."

Since Kanako is the acting goddess of Moriya Shrine, most of the villagers who see me either assume that she's my love child, to which Suwako will gleefully call me Dad, or some youkai I picked up, to which this aggravating goddess will call me Nii-chan and beg for sweets. Squashing those rumors before they start is hard work, but necessary. However, those that do recognize her divine power will bow in respect, and she will nod towards them in response.

"So, Nii-chan, what are you buying?" Suwako tugs at the hair on the back of my head.

"Stop that," I chide her absently, "I'm buying writing materials."

"Ohhh! Are you writing some kind of book?"

"Dumbass." I reply without thinking, and get a painful squeeze of my ribs. "Ow! I can't keep everything in my head, you know," I explain, "Sometimes I need to plan out on paper. I did that when I first came, remember?"

Her reply sounds airy, as if she doesn't care. "I don't remember."

_Facepalm. _"So I carrying an oni around is something memorable, but my arrival isn't... I see..."

"Say..."

I sigh. "What now?"

"Is what you want really obtainable by risking your life?" Suwako asks seriously, without any hint of her usual joking around.

"That's..." I stop. _That's a good question. I need to give it a good answer in reply. _"I... Uh..." _Fuck, I can't come up with one. _In the end, I voice the reason for my decision. "It's a balance of risk and reward."

"Mm! That's a good spirit." She slaps my shoulder encouragingly.

"Coming from you after you were teasing me all the time doesn't sound very complimenting." I mutter, and receive another 'Divine Punishment!' whack for that.

Sakuya doesn't look too pleased when I show up with Suwako STILL riding on me, having shifted from my back to my shoulders after a quick lunch at one of the restaurants in the village once I finished buying the stuff I wanted, but one look at my expression is enough for her to tell that I had no choice in the matter. At least one good thing came of it, though. Somehow, Suwako kept the mud from sticking to my shoes. That's worth one prayer of thanksgiving in my book.

I sic Flan on her to distract her long enough for me to lock myself in my room, where I spread out the writing materials I bought on the desk and sit down before it. _I gotta schedule this well enough so I can improve quick! _I pick up a brush and twirl it slightly before dipping it into the ink.

And so, I start planning my training schedule at the SDM. Hopefully I can complete it before anyone interrupts. And then...

I close my eyes for a moment before opening them. _It's time for a new personality._

* * *

><p>(1) A very well known line from Pokémon.<p>

(2) Rule 34 of the Internet: The Internet is for porn. 'nuff said.

(3) Ikuto is spoiling the ending of Fate/Stay Night.

(4) Actually originating from a Russian song, the lyrics sound like a combination of 'troll' and 'lol', which is what Ikuto is using. I never knew until I went to search out the source.

(5) A meme that originates from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry), that means 'It's a lie!'. Really, how can a goddess of the wind know about something like this, I wonder? Is it perhaps because she's linked to snakes, which are long and thin and... never mind.

(6) I think I mentioned this before somewhere, but just to be safe, I'm putting it in again. In traditional Japanese stand-up comedy known as 'Manzai', one person will act as the idiot, while the other will correct his partner's 'idiocy', the 'tsukkomi'.

(7) Another one I think I mentioned before. This is a quote of Index's Kamijou Touma's cry of frustration at his negated luck, 'Such misfortune!'.

(8) I played Mario Kart Racing on the Wii, and Rainbow Road is this rainbow-colored road in space... that has no side rails. An amateur will fall over the edge so many times...

Once again, my muse picks a random time to join me, making me bring in Suwako Moriya! Really, with Kanako acting as the goddess of Moriya Shrine, the true goddess must have a lot of time to kill apart from contributing power to do the jobs that Kanako can't do. The little frog must have been lying in wait to ambush a certain fairy, but it seems that it found a tasty fly instead.

Yep, for once I didn't pull a 'Fooled ya!'. Honestly, it was quite easy to guess that the next place was the SDM, since I did drop quite a few hints. Ki is something Ikuto can learn, while magic isn't.

Remilia isn't stupid, that's for sure. She's 500 years old, and if she was stupid, she wouldn't have lived that long. Wonder what sort of fate does she see for Ikuto?

Patchouli can be relied on for magic, but the question is whether Ikuto can even do any... Ice magic is clearly possible, but anything else seems like it will require some magic circuits... nah, joking.

So, Ikuto now has Iku and Tenshi after him... I'd offer a bet on who you'd think will go first, but it's pretty clear, isn't it? Taking ideas for Iku's Keyblade, but without the key, it'll be a long time before it'll actually come out. Doing the shiritori was a bit tough when my muse suddenly chose to go off for a bit, so I had to struggle for a little bit before it came back.

On the other hand, when it came back, I had a blast writing the Suwako scenes. Really, child goddesses are like gold mines for humor. They can do what they like, act wise or childish, it's so easy to go wild with them.

I'm going to say this so as not to disappoint you, but like with Hakugyokurou, I'm going to compress his training into short bursts... Ikuto's bringing out a personality suited for pure training, one that focuses entirely on increasing his own strength. That, and I kind of hate going too slow, especially in describing every step in excruciating detail... I will write the important parts though, such as his learning of Ki and martials arts. I hope.

Review, please. I'm always encouraged by everyone's responses. Chances are there are some author comments about my story that I forgot to write (there always is), but don't mind those.


	42. Chapter 41: Hit The Ground Running

"Whoo... that was actually pretty good." Meiling speaks from above me.

"Really..." I groan, "It didn't... feel that way... to me..."

It's the first day since my training actually started, and I just had an intense spar with Meiling so she could get a feel of my style and figure out where I'm lacking. Of course, she was holding back, and still managed to pummel me to the ground hard. I got up at least... three times after she smacked me down over and over, forcing more out of my body after each defeat, but it obviously wasn't enough.

In exchange, I figured out her style. She's not so much a martial artist than a brawler; she moves like a veteran of street fighting, yet when she chains them into her attacks, they become extremely precise with Chinese kung fu roots. And when she starts one of those chains, they can go on for a while. On the overall, she's a master of her own style of fighting at the limits of her range. Which is similar to the type of style I want to develop; a sort of meld between two modes.

I managed to read her flow well enough to parry a number of her punches and kicks, and the last round I even did well enough to land a light hit on her shoulder, but the amount of punishment I incurred in exchange was a lot.

_Condition... fifty-five percent? Check. _I tense all my muscles momentarily, enduring the pain it brings. _Both arms from elbow to fingers, severely bruised, left thigh, both shins, a large part of my left chest. Done. I can move. _I sit up straight, bracing myself on largely numb hands to get up onto my feet.

I take a while to catch my breath, moving my hands up and down with the expansion and contraction of my lungs, before speaking. "So, did you figure out where I need work?"

"Hmmm..." Meiling stares at my body, looking me up and down, and finally nods. "Your core could use more strengthening."

_Expected. _"What about my fighting style?"

"You spend too much time thinking of your next move. And it's like you're trying to follow two different ways of fighting at the same time."

_Also expected. _I nod. "I'm trying to fix that. I'm trying to learn how to use both together effectively."

She frowns. "That's-" Meiling stops when she notices my stoic expression, and smiles awkwardly. "Actually, that would take a lot of time."

I shake my head. "I don't mind. This is the style I want."

"Alright. I'll do my best to help." She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "So it's mainly speed until you need power."

"Yeah, but I need to learn a sense for that kind of thing." I grin wryly. "The best way... is to get it beaten into me."

"Tough way to learn," Meiling comments with a grin like mine, "But effective."

"If not for Eirin's medicines, I wouldn't have considered this method." I admit.

"So," My newest martial arts instructor shakes her head from side to side to loosen the muscles in her neck. "Up for another try?"

I close my eyes to check my condition again. _Sixty percent, or so? Activate mindset: glutton for punishment. Activated. _I open cold, emotionless eyes, and look at an expectant Meiling. "Let's go."

She immediately blurs in, an open palm thrusting forward at my chest. I sway out of its path, and flick a backfist at her face.

It whips through her red hair as she ducks down, and I jump up in response to her spinning leg sweep.

_Attack. _I force my protesting leg to move into position, first fighting, then utilizing gravity in order to launch a heel drop.

"Hnh!" Meiling catches it on crossed wrists, sinking slightly under the force. "HYAH!"

My attempt to use my other foot for a snap kick to the chin is thwarted by her sudden rise, sending me flipping back. _Support, twist. _This time, my trunk and arm muscles are the ones to protest when I land on my hands and flip back up onto my feet.

There's no time to catch my breath; I exhale further and relax my body to duck under her roundhouse kick, drawing backwards and up to dodge the spinning heel, and finally jumping to avoid the leg sweep of the three kick-combo.

_Set up. _I realize, and draw my knees up to my chest. I barely manage to thrust them out in time to meet her double palm thrust with my feet, which throws me into a furious backward spin. _Now._ I uncurl to strike the ground with unsteady legs first, then going onto my hands as the momentum carries me into another revolution, before landing on my feet once more.

"Nice." is all Meiling says before she comes in to attack again.

This time, she steps in even faster, getting within my range before I consciously notice; I lean to the right to dodge a straight aimed for my head, and swing my upper body up for an uppercut. Once again, my fist passes through her hair as she jerks back.

_Off-balance. Attack. _I go with the flow; the uppercut loses momentum as it passes above my head, then curls around for a straight thrust with the elbow. _Right. _Without even waiting to see if it makes any contact, I bring my left foot close to my right, and snap out a right thrusting kick.

She's already past that point, standing right behind me. Panicking, I twist and lash out with a back elbow; a hand slaps down on the triceps, slides down to the elbow as another hand grabs on that shoulder, and a kick takes my left leg out from under me. For one moment, I'm weightless, as a slight tug on my upper body leaves me airborne with no support.

Then I crash onto the ground once more. "Hhhhggh!" I grunt. "Gah... Hah!..." With the flow broken, all the pain and fatigue comes rushing back.

"It's really hard to get an idea of your fighting style. You seem all over the place." Meiling's voice speaks through the spots in my vision, sounding only slightly winded. "You panicked, didn't you?"

I nod, not able to speak due to being winded from the impact.

"That's when you got sloppy and left yourself open." She continues.

I nod again. _Mindset, deactivated. _"Ggrrh... that was... really fast."

The sound of shoes scraping against the ground reaches my ears moments before something light brushes against my face. "You actually managed to make me go faster despite being so tired. I'd say you did quite well."

"Fanks." I mumble, the spots finally clearing to see Meiling crouched over me, some of her hair hanging down to touch my face.

"Need help?" She asks.

Once more I nod, and she takes hold of my shoulders to pull me up into a sitting position. _Condition, approximately forty percent. And it's not even lunch. _"Suuu... Haaaaaaaaaa..." I breathe in and exhale slowly, finally getting back the full use of my lungs. "Ow."

"Nothing broken, right?"

_Not if the fate Remilia gave me was true. _"Don't think so." I grin foolishly. "Feels like it, though."

Meiling snorts. "I didn't hit you _that_ hard."

"That's if we're talking one hit." I twist around and reach my hand out for help.

She pulls me to my feet, and we make our way over to where I already prepared some of Eirin's medicine beforehand. Wincing, I pull off my shirt and begin the process of gingerly applying the analgesic cream on the aches and bruises. The effect is nearly instantaneous; cool relief spreads over my body as the ingredients inside diffuse through my skin and into the damaged muscles, exerting their therapeutic effect.

"Meiling." I gesture behind me. "I can't reach behind right now, can you help?"

"Sure."

I wince again when she slaps a large amount of cream onto my back and begins working it in with intense force. "Wait... you're doing something. I can feel a difference." _There's some heat coming from her palms. _I pause in my application on my legs.

"Just a bit of checking your body with my Ki." Meiling mutters, her attention focused on whatever she's doing to me.

I feel a sudden wave of nausea, and jerk forward. "Uggh... wh-what the hell?"

"I think I see why you want that style."

"Huh?" I turn to look at her over my shoulder.

Meiling shakes her head. "I'll explain some other time."

_Sounds intriguing. _"Can you just give me a hint?"

"Mmm..." Meiling looks up thoughtfully for a moment. "You have two conflicting affinities, I guess...?"

_Meh, I get that. _"So you were, like, checking my body with your Ki?"

"Not 'like'," She corrects, "I _did_ check your body with my Ki."

"Oh, so... can I use Ki?" I ask, with a bit of hope in my tone

She nods, smiling. "It'll be tough, but yeah."

"Hopefully it'll be easier than the way you're trying to get me used to doing somersaults and flips." I say dryly.

Meiling certainly knew how to control the flow of battle well enough to force me to perform all those movements. I think she's probably better than Youmu in terms of martial arts skill, though I'm not sure who's the better in overall strength when you consider speed and danmaku.

"Don't forget to do the stretches I showed you!" My harsh taskmistress orders.

"Aye aye, ma'am!"

* * *

><p>Later, as I'm limping back to my room to wash up for lunch, my heart is celebrating the fact that there is a way for me to get stronger besides just improving my fighting skills. <em>Still doubt I can do danmaku though. Oh wait, it's still too early to celebrate... need to master things one at a time. <em>My body is starting to fix itself, but a growling in my stomach indicates a requirement for nutrients to perform the job.

"Good thing I also bought supplements for that." I say to no one in particular.

"First let's try bringing out one crystal only." Patchouli instructs as I sit on a chair in the middle of a circle.

_SImple. _I hold out my left hand and form the image in my head, then transfer it into my hand. "There." I show her the crystal now present in my grasp.

The sorceress raises one eyebrow. "You've been practicing." She says mildly.

"I did cover something like this with Alice." To emphasize my words, I bring out the other five crystals, this time snapping my fingers. "Arrangement A." I instruct them, loosening my grip so the one in my hand can join the rest.

The crystals immediately line up in front of me, perpendicular to the floor in one straight row. I demonstrate how their position is dependent on my body by first turning my head left and right, then twisting slightly in my chair to show that they only move around in the case of the latter.

Patchouli just observes with calm eyes. "Hm. Any others?"

I nod. "Arrangement B."

This time, the crystals arrange themselves near my hands, three per hand, floating in the space between my knuckles in a simulation of claws. I move my arms around as quickly as I can, showing that they can keep up with my movements.

"Shield." This time, I extend one hand palm out in front of me.

The crystals arrange themselves into the shape of an asterisk in front of my hand, connected at a single point without actually fusing together. A twist of my wrist makes the entire arrangement spin fast enough to look like a pure blue disc instead of a six-pointed structure.

"That's all." I snap my finger again, banishing all of them before manifesting one in my hand again. _They respond to me quite easily, possibly due to an already existing link._

"It appears you got one of the fundamentals of spell cards down." Patchouli observes, "If you can evoke this reaction with a command, you can create a spell card."

I'm surprised by this piece of news. "Really?"

Patchouli's tone sounds like it could have been used to make a simple observation about the weather. "If you had more magic."

_Ouch. _"Ahahaha... that again..."

"It is possible to increase your magic stores through training though." She concedes.

"Uh huh." _Wait for it._

"Only if you have enough to start with. Since you are already drawing on from an artificial magic store, you don't."

_I KNEW IT!_ "You really enjoy shooting my hopes down, don't you." I say to her in a sour tone.

"I'm just being practical." Patchouli's eyes are already looking down at her book. "Let us begin before we waste anymore time."

"Got it. So what first?"

"Try making something out of the crystal. I advise you start small."

_Small... simple... ice... _A white-masked figure in green clothing comes into my mind (1). _That'll do. _"Alright."

I take the crystal in my hands and grip it near the end with my right, engulfing it completely between my thumb and fingers. Then I start rubbing while maintaining control over the power within.

Minutes later, Patchouli looks over my work. "Ice needles... and you still made mistakes."

"Sorry." I mumble, feeling embarrassed.

It was simple enough in my mind; using the small hole that resulted from overlapping a bent index finger with my thumb, I would coax the ice to grow out straight through it to make a knitting needle. Unfortunately, only two of the ten I created could be called that. The rest started sprouting off on their own once past the hole; I got six that look like pine trees, one that looks like a cross, and the last one that is a pretty good miniature hand with only the middle finger extended.

_Guess my emotions do carry over into this. _I keep my expression steady as I kick myself mentally.

Patchouli looks up to meet my eyes. "But it seems like you're doing something right."

I blink. "I don't see how two out of ten is considered 'doing something right'." I reply mildly.

"See for yourself."

She flicks her wrist to clear her hand free of its sleeve, and summons a gust with a gesture. The mistakes get carried a few meters up into the air, before they fall back down onto the table... without breaking. An amazing sight considering that they are all made out of ice.

"The structure was constructed well. There's some magic left inside that reinforces the construct on the whole."

"That's... just luck." I admit, finding it hard to accept what I just saw.

She raises one eyebrow. "Then you must have very good luck, if you can create something that can do this."

Patchouli lifts up her other hand, which is holding onto the two needles. She releases them over her desk, and they pierce deeply into the wood.

My jaw drops open. _That's... fucking sharp._ _I didn't think to check. _"My luck is fickle, by the way." I point out, "Good things usually come with the bad, and vice versa."

"Then you'll just have to prove that it isn't luck." Patchouli tells me firmly.

I sigh. "More needles?"

She nods. "It's a good idea. Most people usually think of geometric shapes, but they are harder to do. It's best to start on a level you can handle."

My eyebrow twitches. _Something about that sounds vaguely insulting... but I'm already used to it coming from her. _"Can I ask one thing?"

"What is it?" Her instructions given, Patchouli's tone is brisk as she resumes her own study.

_Are you pissed that you have to teach me? _I open my mouth to speak, then realize how bad it would sound coming from me. "Uh... never mind. I'll just work on making needles."

"Hm." She grunts, her attention clearly elsewhere.

_Let's see... the crystal is... _I blink in surprise. _Only down to half? But... Patchouli's modifications really increased its power. I can produce another ten needles like this! And maybe more if I don't make any mistakes._

It's hard to think of the collected magic energy as solid or liquid, but when I channel it to shape the ice, the ice itself becomes fluid. Going by that theory, the reason why I made mistakes before was that I didn't keep the energy in the core from spiking through the fluid layer, resulting in uncontrolled outgrowth. So if I keep that energy stable...

_I don't know how to do that._ I realize. _Guess I just have to wing it. First, imagine the needle... tiny core... push it outwards... _I start rubbing my thumb and finger again.

I kill off my emotions and turn my focus entirely on keeping the growth stable. Something about this reminds me of how glassworkers shape glass.

_And... there. _I separate the completed needle from the origin point. _It looks good... Hm? _My eyes narrow as they focus on a portion near the end that is slightly discolored. _Wait..._

I flick the normal parts hard; they don't break. But when I try the same at the discolored patch, the needle snaps. Almost...

_Like glass... Damn, even a stray subconscious thought influences this? This is going to be tough._

I close my eyes and exhale, trying to banish those random thoughts from my mind. No luck, as all sorts of things suddenly spring in existence within the chaos of my head. But apparently, my statement about good coming with the bad proves true, as the image of a guy with black hair and a tattoo on the right side of his chest, dressed only in shorts (2), manifests in my brain.

_Now why didn't I think of that before? _I give the remainder of the crystal a wry glance, and start again...

This time, I pinch near the opening with my other hand, and use it to pull out the needle like I'm drawing steel wire. Everything goes quickly after that.

"So," Patchouli says after examining my second attempt, "What have you learned?"

"Two hands are better than one?" I guess.

"What else?"

"Working fast leads to mistakes." I answer, feeling more encouraged.

"And?"

"..." _Can't think of anything else. _"I have to keep doing this." I try.

"Mm-hm. Practice makes perfect, as they say."

"So... make some more?" I ask, feeling a bit let down.

Patchouli nods. "With one hand only." She instructs.

_Bit by bit... bit by bit... _I tell myself as I summon a new crystal and begin the slow process of making needles again. _Just focus on improving._

The second crystal yields twenty-five needles, out of which eight are well made. Effort does pay off; I'm getting closer to my first objective of converting an entire crystal into perfect ice needles.

"By the way, don't these melt?" I ask Patchouli once she approves my work with a terse nod and looks up back at me.

She glances at the twenty-odd good needles I made. "Not for a day at least with the residual magic in them."

"Okay, so can I have them?"

The sorceress flaps her hand at me, already back in her book. Permission obtained, I collect them and go about looking for Sakuya. I find her in the middle of washing some dishes in the kitchen; looks like time stopping only goes so far.

"Needles?" The maid asks doubtfully, "I don't see a problem, but why needles?"

"Because that's what I made." I show them to her. "And logically, thrown knives don't usually fly in a straight line. They should spin with the way you throw them."

One of Sakuya's grey eyebrows rises up. "Do you have a problem with the way I use my knives?"

"Absolutely none, Izayoi-sama. Please teach this unworthy servant how to throw weapons." I reply instantly.

"I told you, don't use -sama with me." She sighs, and gestures at the dishes in front of her with a soapy hand. "Help me with this first, then I'll teach you."

"Yes, Izayoi-sama." I step up next to her and start helping.

"Are you trying to be funny?" Sakuya asks me dangerously.

I respond with the most innocent and expressionless look I can manage. "No, of course not. Why would I do that?" _I suck at trying to be funny. I'm just trying to save my ass right now._

"Where did all this dishes come from?" I ask after I finish my second dish.

"Sometimes the fairy maids have their own party. Rather than have them break these when they try to wash, it's better I take care of it myself."

I nod. "I know that feeling." _Just hope that I'm not part of it._

"Now be quiet and work."

I bite back the reply I was about to give, and do as she says. With two of us working, we manage to clear all the dishes very quickly, drying and stacking them up in a cabinet. Sakuya then leads me to an basement room, which has wide wooden boards hung up on every wall, with smaller wooden blocks hung on various points on them. Every single one of them bear deep gashes, testament of Sakuya's training.

"First let's start with the right way to throw." The maid pulls one of the needles out of my hand before I can react, and flings it backhanded without looking.

_Been doing this long enough to know her targets' positions. _I eye the needle sticking out of the small board. "Let's do it, then."

After working with Patchouli for so long, I'm not too surprised that my attempts at throwing are... suffice to say, dismal. Most of the time, my needles don't even make the backing board; if the needles weren't magical in nature, they'd have broken long ago from falling on the floor. Surprisingly... or maybe not surprisingly, Sakuya doesn't scold me, but continues to correct my technique as many times as needed.

"Keep trying. You'll improve." Sakuya tells me as we leave the room. "But first, let's take care of your cuts."

She indicates the slowly bleeding wounds on my fingers that I got from the points of the needles when I made mistakes in throwing them.

I probably wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't so tired. "You're actually a nice person, aren't you? ...Hm?"

Sakuya's staring at me with a faint blush. "I'm not. It's... just your imagination."

"Onii-chan?" I turn around to see Flan standing in the middle of the corridor. "Onii-chan!" She squeals, and dashes towards me.

I instinctively dodge the ramming missile with the power of adrenaline, catching her on her outstretched arm to swing her around until she comes to a stop.

"Flan, charging like that isn't polite." I crouch down to wag my finger in her face. "Understand?"

"Uuu~ But I wanted to hug Onii-chan..." The blond vampire pouts.

"Not when I'm sweating like this, you'll get your clothes dirty." I tell her firmly, "But to make up for it..." I stick my bloody finger into her mouth.

As usual, Flan gets absorbed in sucking my blood, and even clamps onto my arm with her hands to keep it still while she drains my body of its life fluid. I end up having to poke her in the forehead to get her attention.

"Enough. You'll get fat if you drink too much." _Actually, do they even get fat? Vampires aren't mosquitoes. _

"But it's so tasty~" Flan whines.

"Next time, okay?" I pat her head with my saliva-covered hand, and kiss her forehead impulsively. "Okay, run along and play, alright?"

"..." Flan is staring at me wide-eyed with slightly reddened cheeks.

"Flan?"

"O...O-okay, Onii-chan..."

She turns around and totters off down the corridor, with me keeping watch just in case she decides to come at me again.

"You handle her well." Sakuya comments from behind me.

I grimace. "Something for which I am thankful. Can you imagine what would happen..." I leave the end of that sentence out; Sakuya would know what I mean.

"I would have cleaning to do." Something about her tone makes it sound like she shrugged, if the elegant maid ever shrugged.

_Damn, that's really... what's the word for it... heck care? _I supply my own term to replace the word that refuses to come to mind. "Yeah. Anyway, I think I'll..." A yawn interrupts me, "Go to bed after taking a bath." I get up and turn around to head for the stairs up.

"Make sure to do your own laundry tomorrow." Sakuya reminds me as I walk past her.

"Yes, yes. I can't expect a maid to take care of my underwear, can I?"

"Are you expecting me to touch your dirty laundry?"

"Are you expecting me to ask to be stabbed all over?" I stop and turn to retort, smirking.

"I can do that if you wish." Sakuya offers, her eyes crinkling slightly though her tone is smooth.

"Offer appreciated, but no thanks. See you tomorrow." _Maybe I should try making her smile._

Given how tired I am, I don't spend too long in the bath. A quick scrub in lukewarm water, a reapplication of Eirin's creams, and I'm ready for bed.

_How should I respond to Iku when I see her tomorrow night? _is the last thought I have before blessed sleep takes my body and mind.

* * *

><p>"Does Milady... like her tea?" I ask through gritted teeth.<p>

"It could be better, yes." The person I'm addressing answers with a wide smile, "But the view more than makes up for it."

"I... see." I turn to Remilia, who's sitting in the chair opposite the first person. "Begging Lady Remilia's pardon, but you are an evil person."

Rather than being offended, the vampire just smirks and sips her tea. "Of course I'm an evil person," She puts her teacup back down on the plate. "I'm a vampire."

"If there is nothing else-" I begin, but Remilia's tea buddy cuts me off.

"I would like you to be on standby here. Just in case I need something." Yuuka Kazami requests, never dropping her smile.

"As Milady wishes." I answer stiffly.

I brush down my skirt and step back into position next to a pillar, my expression stiff as I review the events leading up till now for the umpteenth time.

That's right... my SKIRT.

After an early morning wakeup call by Sakuya, I was practicing my sword movements with a long stick I took from the carpenter with his blessings. After that, I had a quick breakfast, and started doing my laundry; it was kind of boring, so I filled up the wash basin and carried it around the mansion so I could work while talking to Meiling. My work pace slowed down when she started doing her taichi movements, something she said she would teach me eventually.

It wasn't the first time we talked, but it reminded me of how it was like talking to Youmu; someone who is interested to hear about a world beyond hers, but with the additional trait of having stories of her own to tell. We had quite a bit of fun reminiscing about the snowball tournament, and she scolded me again for that snowman prank I played on her, though she did so good-naturedly.

After I finished the laundry up to dry, I still had a lot of time before lunch, so I decided to make lunch for myself and Meiling... fried rice and xiao long bao with some of the stock I made while staying at Keine's. Her reaction was fun and a little embarrassing to watch; she kept crying as she gulped down the food, telling me repeatedly how delicious it was and how she missed the taste. Since she was so touched, I had to promise to cook for her once in a while.

Then Sakuya caught me in the hallway after I finished washing the dishes, and told me to serve Remilia and her guest Yuuka Kazami. The moment I stepped into the room, Yuuka pointed out that I was not properly dressed; I should be dressed like a servant, she said, and she suggested I wear a maid uniform.

And Remilia just had to agree with it... WHYYYYYY?

I don't really have much of a choice, so I took the uniform, went to an empty room, stripped down to my underwear, and put it on. If I ever cross-dressed before, I don't recall it, but it would have been a lot easier than this; white shirt, blue frilly overdress, black tie, white apron, and the head dress... I'm thanking my luck that they don't have stockings that fit me.

Sakuya seems to find it amusing, and she's riding rank on me as the chief maid by making me do all the work.

"Maid-san, refill please." Yuuka wags her teacup at me.

"As Milady wishes." I take the teapot and fill it for her.

"Mine too, Ikuto." Remilia, resting her head on one hand, indicates hers.

"Yes, Lady Remilia." _Somebody end this hell already..._

"Oh, would you mind bringing me that pot over there?" Yuuka points at something behind me.

I look over my shoulder to see a small pot with a deep red rose... on the floor. Where had that come from?

My eyebrow twitches. "How would Milady like me to pick it up?" I ask, wanting to confirm the bad feeling I'm suddenly having.

Yuuka smiles evilly. "Maids are supposed to be elegant, so pick it up without bending your knees."

_I knew it. _My eyebrow starts twitching even more furiously. "As... Milady... wishes..." _Is this karma?_

The skirt isn't that short, but really... I bend over at the hip to grab the pot, and suddenly shoot upright. Something just lifted up the back of the skirt! I spin around to see Yuuka calmly sipping tea, while Remilia is wearing an amused expression as she watches me.

The flower youkai lowers the cup from her mouth and gives me a glance. "Is there something wrong?"

_Damn S. _I incline my head and turn to carry out the task. _But how did she do it? Her clothes don't look messed up; if she had used her physical ability... _I freeze as I feel the back of the skirt lift up again. _Oh, of course._

I straighten up and turn around with pot in hand, this time taking note of the umbrella leaning against the side of Yuuka's chair.

"Milady, if I may..." I say evenly as I place the flowerpot on the table in front of her.

She raises one green eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It is not befitting of a master to sexually harass the staff." I tell her.

"My, but according to this book-" Yuuka starts innocently before I cut her off.

"Is that book from Yukari?" I demand.

"Now, now," Yuuka shakes a finger at me, "It's rude to interrupt. But to answer your question, it was."

_Dammit, Yukari. Or maybe it's Yuuka just screwing with me._

She continues on, saying, "It says that the attraction of a maid lies beneath her skirt."

"Fu fu fu..." Remilia chuckles.

This time, my fingers start twitching. "But you know," I tell her as calmly as I can, "You said 'her'. I'm still a guy under these clothes."

"But a clothes makes the man, don't they say?" Remilia interrupts, "Or in this case, makes the maid."

"Begging Lady Remilia's pardon, I may have said it before, but I would like to say it again. You're an evil person." Remilia's smile widens when she hears my reply.

"What about me? Certainly a youkai who's related to flowers can't be bad." Yuuka says innocently.

I snort without meaning to. "Excuse me. I sneezed." I excuse myself before continuing, "Milady is... a person who has an unhealthy obsession with harassing others."

"Unhealthy, you say..." The sadist smirks at me. "I see..."

_I'm gonna get it... _I realize dully. "If Milady and Lady Remilia will excuse me?" I try.

"Denied." She tells me sweetly, as Remilia nods in agreement.

I glance to the side where Sakuya is standing, noting that she has a hand in front of her front, as if covering a smile. _I know I wanted to make her smile, but NOT LIKE THIS! _

I shall do my utmost to forget this humiliating experience, as well as taking measures to prevent it from happening ever again. Besides ordering an actual butler suit from the tailor in the village, I will also make a sizeable donation to Hakurei Shrine to pad my prayer that it won't ever happen again as well as expressing my thanks that Aya isn't around to take any pictures.

Yuuka doesn't leave until the late afternoon, and that's when Sakuya starts putting me through a pre-dinner training exercise.

"I must have been insane to ask for this. Utterly insane. Totally insane. Completely insane." I say to no one in particular as I stare impending death in the face.

"**Strange Art - 'Illusional Misdirection'!**" The card in the maid's hand vanishes, and she begins throwing knives.

I saw just how MANY knives Sakuya has when she was going up against Cirno, but it's a whole different matter when I'm the one who's being targeted by them. Her hands are a blur as they release various small red kunai (3) in lines radiating out from her position like a fountain as she goes to the left. One blink, and she's suddenly gone; my head snaps around to see her on the right this time, just as she throws out her usual blue-hilted knives in a widespread fan pattern, at a much faster speed.

_Holyshitholyshitholyshit! _I move into position between two of the blue danger zones, and keep a close eye on the red bullets as they bounce off the walls, taking note of which direction I have to dodge in. _I'm getting it from nearly everywhere!_

I duck, twist, roll, jump, slide, sway, doing all sorts of acrobatic movements just to avoid a spell card assaulting from three dimensions while I'm still on the ground. I get two grazes, but with the toned down power behind them, it's nothing serious. What's more pressing is my body's condition; even with Eirin's medicines, there are limits to how much my body can recover and progress.

This is another of my 'get it beaten into me' trainings: outlasting spell cards without the ability to fly, bomb, or retaliate. Compared to the non-spell card danmaku training I had with Youmu, this is on a whole different level.

I finish the first wave, and ready myself for the next. This time, Sakuya begins from her original position and moves to the right, then warps back to her original position for the high-speed knives. I manage to scrape through again, but when she starts a third wave, I get a stinging hit on my left arm.

"Next one! **Illusion Ghost - 'Jack the Ludo Bile'!**"

This spell card comes in the form of red bubbles with a white aura that I prepare to avoid by running around while twisting to fit between the gaps. _It's safe to go through the white aura a little, if I recall. _Then my jaw drops as dozens of knives suddenly appear among the bubbles between one moment and the next, converging in on me and cutting off my escape to the sides.

I feel stupid a moment later after I dodge through it by ducking into a space between the centre knife barrage and the left one, taking care to avoid the bubbles. Three more repeats, and the spell card breaks.

Sakuya looks at me panting and nods approvingly, crossing her arms in a way that makes my eyes open wide. "Next! **Illusion World - 'The World'!**"

_Here it comes. Here it comes. _I remain tense even as she releases a full area spray of red bullets in the form of mini fireballs. _And... _

It's like seeing only the last frame of a shrapnel bomb going off but still having to deal with the fallout, only multiplied by... no time to count! I direct my entire focus onto the paths of the knives as they fly outwards in a straight line, swaying back, spinning left, dashing forward, then going into a slide to dodge both knife and fireball.

As before, she repeats it, but increases the number of fireballs and 'shrapnel bombs' with each repetition. My lungs and muscles are burning by now... it's all I can do not to brace myself on my knees and pant like a worn-out dog.

"Suuuu... Hah! Suuuu... Hah! Suuuu... Hah!" I inhale and exhale furiously.

"Do you need a moment?" The maid calls out to me.

I straighten up further and clench my fists. "BRING IIIIIIIIIIT!" I roar, reinforcing my spirit and will with my cry.

For one brief moment, it looks like Sakuya smiled. "So be it then!" She brings her arms across her body, one at her hip, the other above her shoulder, knives suddenly appearing in her fingers and ready to be thrown. "Are you ready?"

I nod, and she starts throwing knives around in five angled fan patterns around her with two rows of knives to each fan, letting them bounce off the walls to assault me with crisscrossing sprays of silver. _This reminds me more of UBW than Patchouli's spell. Except they are all daggers!_

It's a whole lot different from the actual games; besides the main 2D-3D difference, being up close gives me a much better perspective on what goes where, especially since there's no extra life or anything like that.

_Oh wait, she's scaling it back to be nonlethal. _I recall as I take light-footed steps past yet another convergence point. _But it really looks lethal._

"Here it comes!" Sakuya warns, and throws out a card that spins in the air as she leaps high into the air. "**Maid Secret Skill - 'Killing Doll'!**"

It's like a multi-petaled silver flower blooming, the way knives keep spawning out from her without any visible throwing motion, but the third dimension factor makes it appear to me differently. _A Valkyrie skirt? _The phrase pops into my head, and I can see how it fits, even as she adds more knives in a different, looser pattern. _No! Don't get-_

Then even more knives appear out of nowhere, forming a third pattern that I barely have time to analyze before the storm is upon me. The first one looks impressive, but I can escape through the spaces once the petals- no, curtains would be a better term- travel far enough. The second is something I barely have to care about, since it only covers a few of the openings left by the first one. But the third...

_It's like totally RANDOM! _I scream in my mind, slipping through each hole the moment I identify them. _Ow, ouch, ow, ouch, ow! _I grit my teeth and force my body to dodge, ignoring the sharp auras the knives are filled with as they rake my skin going past. _First wave done, and she's already released a second skirt..._

The good thing about this one is that they aren't rebounding knives, so I can ignore them once they are safely past. The bad thing... is that it's like squeezing through the eye of a needle. But for some reason, I can sense their paths much better... is this what they call being in the zone? I don't feel as fatigued as I did a moment ago.

A third wave... then a fourth... then the feeling of the zone drops, leaving me slightly disorientated.

And leaving me open for six knives that thud into my body and take me off my feet.

"You ...tated ... the end." The voice of the person speaking is oddly muffled.

My hands scrabble over my body, checking to confirm that I didn't have bleeding stab wounds on it. _Nothing. I'm... unhurt apart from the crushing exhaustion._

"I told you," The speaker, who I now recognize as Sakuya, sighs, "Spell card battles are meant to be nonlethal."

"H-How...?" I force the word past my lips.

"It's a spell card." The maid says simply. "Can you get up?" I hear her ask.

_The floor feels pretty comfortable. _I realize. _Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Oh right... I can't lie here. _I struggle up, first on my elbows, then sitting up, then finally relying on Sakuya's offered hand to get onto my feet.

"Just how do you have so many knives..." I grumble out of amazement rather than actual irritation.

She seems to recognize that, and thus ignores my statement. "That was rather good for someone who hasn't engaged in spell card battles before."

"Thanks for the compliment." I mumble, "Sparred with Youmu. Need medicine."

Instantly, I'm in front of the door to my room, the sudden transition making me stumble slightly forward to bang against it.

"Dinner will be in half an hour's time. Make sure to clean up properly." Sakuya tells me from behind, and the faint sense of her presence vanishes.

_You asked for it. Remember that, you asked for this. _I recite in my head as I enter and begin my washing up by dumping pail after pail of chill water over my body instead of taking an actual bath. _Hmm... _I start working the medicine into my tired limbs after drying myself off. _I think I'm gonna have to sleep early tonight. Maybe I'll borrow a book from Patchouli for some night reading..._

Dinner is an amusing yet embarrassing affair, since Sakuya and Remilia spend it making fun of me for the cross-dressing. Patchouli just gives me a look of calm surprise, while Flandre frowns at the thought of me dressing in a maid's uniform. 'Onii-chan isn't a maid', she complains, and commands me not to do it again. Man, she can be really cute in that way.

* * *

><p><em>The first thing I notice when I appear in Komachi's house is that the place is empty. No one's there to greet me, no sound of snoring that might identify Suika or Komachi's position, it's like the place has been abandoned for the ghosts. I walk around the house to double check, but there's no sign of any of the usual inhabitants.<em>

_"Komachi? Iku?" I call out cautiously._

_Just the sound of the Sanzu River's float-immune water._

Where is everyone? This is odd... _I sit against the door frame of the living room to think. _Iku and Suika aren't exactly here all the time, but Komachi should have left a note at least. So... _I look up at the ceiling, at one location I haven't checked._

_"Iku." I force any trace of question out of my voice so as to hide the fact that I'm not entirely confident about my conclusion. "Come out."_

_First black shoes, then a black skirt, and finally Iku's pink-clad upper body descends down in front of me. "Ikuto." She greets me softly but calmly, staying a few meters away._

_"Why were you hiding?" I ask mildly._

_The oarfish drops her eyes instantly, an extravagant show of expression for her. "I was... nervous."_

_"It's about that, isn't it." I ask in a soft voice, and she nods with her gaze still downcast. "Iku, do you know just how... twisted my personality is?"_

_She smiles crookedly. "Maturity that hides beneath a cover of childishness, childishness that hides beneath a cover of maturity."_

_I return the smile for a moment. "That's one part of it. But mainly it's because... I'm not entirely sure if what I'm feeling is love or just simple affection." I throw out the conclusion that I declared to Youmu so long ago in a haunted tone. _I'm still not sure... but what's this odd feeling... like something's not right? It's not about Iku... it's... something else.

_"So Komachi said." Iku chuckles, a surprising reaction. "However, you have been acting in a way that most would consider _too _affectionate at times, for emotions you are not sure about."_

_"Hey, I enjoy expressing affection, you know." I grin as I shrug expressively._

_"Yes, I saw." She tells me in a dry tone._

_"You saw?" Then my grin fades as the meaning of her words sink in. "Uh... wha... um... you... you saw..." I finish weakly._

_"As I said," Iku finally looks me in the eyes with twinkling ones of her own, "_Too _affectionate."_

_I force my open jaw shut. "Goddamn, this is embarrassing." I mutter. _It's Iku... why is it so embarrassing?

_We stare at each other for quite a while, me still seated leaning against the door frame, Iku standing with her hands folded in front of her and scarf hovering. I'm not sure what to say, and it looks like neither does she. In the end, I decide to just try and say _something_._

_"__**I...**__" We both start at the same time._

Oh, so this is how it's gonna be. Typically, we'll both say 'you first'... so I'll just shut up and... _My face freezes as Iku doesn't act the way I predict she would. _Now this is a first... we both chose to shut up so the other person could speak.

_A small smile appears on Iku's lips. "You were waiting for me to speak first, were you not?"_

_"Yes, actually." I admit, "But I don't really know what to say, so you first."_

_She nods. "As you say, then. I shall speak first."_

_As Iku suddenly steps up onto the walkway that encircles the side of the house, I become all too aware of the light blush __coloring__ her __cheeks, enhanced by her blue hair and made enchanting by the similarity to her own clothes.__ Is it a trick of the light, or just my own imbecility that kept me from noticing just how pretty she can be? The air of shy elegance created around her by the flowing scarf and hat ribbons is almost on par with Kaguya's, forcing me to bite my lip to stop myself from acting like a drooling idiot._

I remember... she's the type that usually fits in with the current atmosphere, only breaking her way in when she felt it was urgent, and she never takes the lead... but this mood... _A small smirk passes my lips. _I suppose there's no need to break the mood since it was already broken the last time.

_"Perhaps you should speak first." Iku murmurs, sitting down nearly knee-to-knee with me, within reach of my arms._

_"What's with the sudden change of mind?" I ask amusedly, shifting my sitting position to match hers._

_"It appears you have found something to say after all." She delivers the quiet observation with a bit of steel in her tone._

That's a really good way of insisting on taking the backseat. _"Okay then. Iku..." I begin._

_"Yes?"_

_"Do you like me as a friend?" I ask bluntly._

_She nods. "Certainly."_

_"Do you..." I swallow, feeling how dry my mouth has become. "Love me?"_

_"..." Iku looks down._

_I blink when I hear something from her mouth after a moment of silence. "Pardon?"_

_"I do love you." Iku repeats, so quietly I barely hear it._

_"... I see." I clear my throat softly. "So... next question... was it so hard to say that?"_

_The beautiful lady looks up to see my grin, and the next thing I know, something red smacks me hard in the face. I reel back and tumble onto my back, hearing her crossly recite a saying about people who take perverse pleasure in disrupting the mood getting their just deserts._

_"Sorry..." I mutter, but the smirk still on my face earns me another slap. "Ow!" Now sufficiently prepared, I bolt up straight and look at Iku._

_She looks at me expressionlessly, but I can tell she's annoyed that I'm making fun of her. Especially since one hand is cocked back with the scarf loosely wrapped around the wrist, ready to deliver another punishing slap._

Wonder how cute will she look if she reacted more shyly than this. _I muse, _But then again, it would take a really overboard event to get that reaction out of her, and then it would probably offend her. _"Hey... Iku." I call her name, softly, tenderly._

_"Yes, Ikuto?" She finally answers._

If she wants me to take the lead, then so be it! _"I like you too." I admit, "As a friend..." I get a brief jolt of sadistic pleasure from seeing a stricken look on her face. "But also as a lover, if you'd accept me." I continue._

_"...you did that on purpose." Iku accuses._

_"Did what?" I say innocently, reaching out to take her hands in mine both as a show of affection and a sealing of her ability to chastise me for my prank. "I'm not going to play with your feelings like that, Iku. I love you." I tell her, and mean every word._

_Her fingers tremble slightly as I clasp them with mine. "What is this feeling...?" The lady before me murmurs, "Why is my heart... beating so fast?"_

_"Beats me," I breathe, leaning closer, "I feel it a lot myself, but I'm still not entirely convinced it's love." I quip, feeling the odd exhilaration I've come to attribute to my bond with all the girls I've been with._

_"The atmosphere created by the newly-formed bond between mutual-" Iku's sudden string of words is cut off when I press my lips against hers._

So she does get shy... cute reaction. _I hold the kiss for two seconds before pulling away. "Haa... did you like that?"_

_"It felt... odd." She frees one of her hands to touch her lips. "But... not unpleasurable." Iku lifts her eyes to meet mine again. "Could you... again?"_

_I give my reply through action rather than words, and she lets out a soft gasp before my mouth covers hers again. Now we're acting mutually; her free hand slides around to the back of my head, while mine reaches around to the small of her back, both of us pulling each other closer. Our joined hands shift, until our fingers are interlinked._

_As with every one of the girls I've bonded with, Iku has a unique feel about her. Her kiss feels like the air itself, cool yet embracing, tasting light yet delicious. I drink deeply... as does she, and we pull away at the same time._

_"Again." Iku requests._

_This time she pulls me in with more force, as though my lips are ambrosia, and I feel her fingers quiver in my hand as I push further and invade her small mouth with my tongue. She stiffens up suddenly, making me stop._

_"Again...!" Iku gasps when I pull back instinctively._

_Rather than me going in, she goes for me instead, becoming the kisser instead of the one being kissed. _I think... I may have unlocked something that has been repressed for quite a while..._ I realize as she sticks her tongue in my mouth, running them over my teeth._

_"Whoo, they're really getting it on." _

_I jerk away and look in the direction of the voice. "S-S-Suika! K-Komachi?" _Geh, I'm feeling guilty?

_The other two missing members are standing a short distance away, amused smiles on their faces as they look at Iku... who has somehow seated herself on my lap. When I flinched away a moment ago, my hands released her, or at least the one that wasn't locked in her fingers._

_Iku turns her head to face the pair and inclines it slightly. "I am indebted to both of you."_

_The redhead grins with one hand on her hips while the other fiddles with her scythe behind her back. "No need. We're friends, right?"_

It's one thing to know that they set it all up, but another to actually see it. Guess this is why I'm immune to spoilers. _"Glad to know we had an audience." I say sarcastically, but I'm smiling with the euphoria of having kissed Iku. "Where were you hiding?"_

_"Inside this oni here." Komachi taps Suika's leg with a foot._

Of course... she pretty much blends in with the mist that's around this place. And the way she said that has a few... insinuations. _"So... what now?" I ask, feeling embarrassed at being caught out like this._

_Something soft and silky wraps around my neck. "I believe that question is easily answered."_

_"Save some for us, 'kay~" Suika reminds me as Iku draws me in again._

_"What do you mean, save- Mmmm..." _

_"I'm feeling a bit envious just from watching them." Komachi comments, and I hear the pair settle down for a drink._

Ah well... I suppose the details could be worked out later.

* * *

><p>(1) Naruto's Haku. A deceased ninja with the ability to manipulate ice, and a penchant for needles as his weapon.<p>

(2) Fairy Tail's Grey. An ice mage, he crafts ice weapons with his magic power, but in a fight with a fellow ice mage, it was shown that shaping his creations with two hands make them more stable than if they had done so with only one hand.

(3) Kunai are the knife throwing projectiles used by ninja, as shown in Naruto. A simple blade, a handle, and ring for the pommel.

This chapter is slightly shorter than the usual average I've been going, but it feels right to end right there. Honestly speaking, Iku's a nice character to be with... passive yet powerful, so it's a little difficult to write her character for a confession scene. For a youkai that spends most of her time swimming among the clouds, the atmosphere created by Ikuto's friendship with Komachi must have proved an interesting lure, then they formed their own bond of friendship... but then Ikuto's bond with Komachi and Suika advanced to the next level, and she was attracted by that as well. However, her character is rather laid-back, and with Ikuto being responsive most of the time instead of taking the initiative, it all boiled down to who made the first move. Obviously it was Iku, but she still wasn't direct about it, resorting to slipping it into a game of shiritori. Hope my interpretation of her is believable enough and not OOC.

Still haven't come up with ideas for her Keyblade, but I suppose I can put it off for now. Besides, without the key, a second chain won't appear.

Forced into cross-dressing... sucks to be you, Ikuto.

Anyway, a few things about the training. One, I went to watch some of EoSD videos to get an idea of actual danmaku (I mentioned before, but I suck in the shooting games), and Sakuya's spell cards have a certain beauty to them that I did my best to describe from the perspective of one who would face it in 3D. Two, I can't for the life of me see how to effectively cut short the training, as I'd like to develop the interactions between Ikuto and the SDM people, but I'll try... Three, Ikuto can be considered to be beyond normal human capabilities once he's cleared the training, which would really detract from the summary I put for this story, but then again... he'd still be weaker than just about everyone else worth their danmaku. However, one fact will remain for sure... Ikuto, will never, ever, be able to fly like everyone else.

Now, about the SDM relationship building. Ikuto's current relationships with everyone:

Meiling - Comradely

Sakuya - Formal but mutual teasing with Sakuya having the advantage

Patchouli - Strictly formal (the hardest to develop)

Remilia - Servitude, lightly teasing

Flandre - Close, nearly familial

It's really hard to write relationship developing scenes, when you consider Ikuto's purpose for being in the SDM, and the difference in status between him and the rest. Come on, muse. I'm waiting here!

R&R as usual...


	43. Chapter 42X: Friends, Yet More

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	44. Chapter 43: Lost in Training

**After trying my best to think of a way to shorten the training arc, this is what I came up with. Hope you guys like it.**

* * *

><p>I've decided to write a sort of journal to record my training progress after Meiling said I was improving quite quickly, since I can't really tell as I don't have anyone or anything to compare to. However, with the intense training and the way the days seem to blend together in this place, compounded with my crappy short-term memory, I'm going to be losing track of the exact date. So, I've decided to just write when I make a breakthrough, and include in whatever else I think is worth writing down (but not right away).<p>

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Meiling started teaching me Ki about four, five days ago, saying I was ready for it as my physical condition meant that I had a sufficient amount of Ki to start it. Honestly, I expected to start later than that. Took until today to finally get the hang of the breathing pattern, and another few more hours before I felt the flow of Ki (more like a trickle) through my body. Next I have to learn how to maintain this energy during physical activity.<p>

She mentioned Ki channels and the need to build them up. I guess I should try to channel Ki through my body as much as possible without harming myself. Meiling did warn me not to overstrain, or else something bad might happen. She wouldn't say what, though.  
>I borrowed a sort of resistance suit from Nitori to help build up my muscles further, and the amount of time I can remain in a handstand is gradually increasing. Still flipping over to land on my back, but I'm getting there.<br>Not really sure about how the strike sequences work against an actual opponent, but I guess that means I haven't really incorporated them into my fighting style yet.

Magic/Keyblade:  
>Needles, needles, and more needles. Latest batch today produced 22 good ones out of 31, within two minutes. My aim for 100% efficiency still remains, after which I can properly focus on speed.<br>Patchouli asked about my training plan. After mastering speed, I intend to mold multiple needles simultaneously, with quality and speed the objectives again. Following that, I'll finally move on to making more complicated constructs, possibly something like Sakuya's knives. She nodded in approval, but didn't say anything other than that.

Yesterday, I finally got to hold my Keyblade again. Patchouli made me swing Future Gazer through various items in order to examine its intangibility function in greater detail. Didn't understand anything she said, and I can't even recall. Trolled her a little by banishing my Keyblade momentarily before contact and regenerating it once it's past to make it look like it would cut through stuff that I knew it wouldn't, and it looks like she didn't notice.

Throwing/Chores:  
>My arms would be totally aching if not for Eirin's balm, given the way I kept throwing and throwing and throwing and throwing. Flan lost count, but I estimate I threw a thousand times at least on each arm. Don't feel any improvement, apart from failing to land the needle in the wall less.<p>

Learnt a few Western dishes from Sakuya. Not sure if I'll have the time to practice them.  
>Swept the yard, wiped some windows, did my own laundry.<p>

Danmaku:  
>Managed to clear all of Sakuya's spell cards with only one life lost during the last one. Stamina is slowly increasing.<p>

Others:  
>Fed and talked to Flan a few times, telling her stories. She's an interested listener most of the time, but other times she wants to play something else instead. I need to come up with some way to manage her mood.<br>Spent my rest day chatting with Remilia, talking about the outside world. Not sure what to think of her yet, but she's smart. Very smart. Maybe I should look into that.

* * *

><p>Only my second entry, and already I've forgotten exactly how long ago I wrote the first one. This lack of sunlight is irritating, even if I do go out sometimes. Vitamin D deficiency, maybe? It doesn't help that there seem to be spirits popping up around Gensokyo. Could this be the start of an incident? If it is, I'm going to stay here. Incident resolving should be left to the experts.<p>

Others:  
>Suika and Suwako came to visit, and I was roped into playing along with them and Flan. It feels just like the childish games I played at Komachi's place, so I was really absorbed into it. Enough such that I got a shock when Flan actually hugged me, but she didn't crush my ribs, so I guess it's okay? I should be more careful though. Note: Flan should not be drinking. Have to watch Suika carefully if she's around.<br>KISSED Flan ON THE LIPS today after she caught me and Suika making out. Even if she's nearly 500 years old, her child-like attitude is a bit... I hope this is a one-time thing.  
>Suwako invited me up to Moriya Shrine, but given it's altitude and location, it'll be a while before I even consider accepting it, even if I have someone to help me fly there. Besides, I don't really trust that loli goddess.<p>

Played a few rounds of chess against Remilia. Lost horribly, especially after I gave up and went suicidal.

Danmaku:  
>Since Suwako happened to be around, I challenged her spell cards. For an EX Stage boss, her initial spell cards were easy enough to handle. The parts between them proved more of a challenge to read and penetrate due to their speed.<br>Then she caught me with **'Jade of the Horrid River'**. I managed to figure it out afterwards. Have to go up the river before it closes in on me.  
>I cut it close on the next one when I only realized that I had to follow the rotating motion at the last minute, while I could handle the one after that due to experience with dodging within confined areas, courtesy of Sakuya.<br>Got caught again on **'Froggy Braves the Elements'**, twice. It's like dodging rain... I need to analyze it further, or improve my dodging. Five times for **'Red Frog in Houei Era'**... homing clones with bomb trails... it's gonna take more than just one reattempt to learn it.  
>Her next one started out easy... then got hard enough to catch me off guard. I'll be ready for it, but... I'm not sure. Her last one was the same: Expanding rings consisting of two overlapping rotations, fired with increasing frequency. Difficult to get the rhythm, especially since I was both physically and mentally after coming so far.<br>All in all, a very good workout, though I can't say the same about my performance. Still lost one life against Sakuya. Should look into challenging some of the others.

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Been having a bit of light sparring with Meiling to get battle sense further beaten into me. Managed to hold the empowered Ki state during that time for five seconds at most. Even now as I'm writing, I'm breathing in the pattern that draws out the Ki and running it through my body to train my Ki channels. It should be natural.<br>Perhaps it's like Nen (1)? Special abilities aside, I should be able to channel it around my body with enough practice. The rate of progress feels slow, but success doesn't come overnight. Just practice more.

Magic/Keyblade:  
>2633 today. I'm getting a feel for the amount of magic each needle receives. Too much, and it overflows, too little, and it becomes fragile. But each needle can contain a certain range; going near the upper limit of that range means lower efficiency since some of that energy can go into making another needle.  
>Patchouli started me on symbols and runes. Some of them I came across while staying with Alice, but most are incomprehensible to me. I haven't started drawing them out yet, but I'm practicing in my mind. As long as magic isn't involved, they won't have any effect. It's almost like learning another language.<p>

The mystery of the Keyblade continues to elude Patchouli. I myself have pretty much given up on it long ago. As long as it works, taking the form that represents the bond between me and the girl, I'm fine with that. Maybe she'll move on to another aspect, or continue probing at this current problem.

Throwing/Chores:  
>Just keep throwing~ Just keep throwing~ (2)<p>

Did chores as usual. Talked to Meiling as I was washing clothes yesterday. I wonder why nobody has a washing machine? Forgot to ask Suwako if Moriya shrine has one when she was here today. Kappas are likely to be able to build one, but I'm not sure if they need to given their clothing.  
>Sakuya let me make a stewed dish two days ago for dinner. Isn't that nice of her? Of course, she was supervising all the while.<p>

* * *

><p>Thought I saw Lily White today across the bridge. If it was her, she got shot down by Yuuka who came by to visit again. This time, I was ready with my butler uniform. She still dared to ask me to wear a maid uniform again, but since I'm a butler and not a maid, I refused.<br>More spirits appearing around the place, but Yuuka said they aren't causing flowers to bloom. Aya came by asking if any of us knew anything, but left since none of us did. Komachi hasn't been slacking. In fact, she's actually working hard at her job. I doubt Yuyuko or Youmu would be so careless as to let spirits escape from the Netherworld, so...  
>Remilia complimented me for my thinking when I presented my thoughts to her, and agreed that we should just leave things to settle on their own. Patchouli is currently researching a way to keep the spirits from entering the mansion.<p>

Others:  
>Yuuka said that my tea brewing skills have increased. Attempted to sexually harass me by 'spilling' tea on my pants, but I manage to dodge both tries. Remilia didn't help.<p>

Flan has been acting more affectionate. I need to think of a way to control her strength.

Throwing/Chores:  
>I've started twirling needles with my fingers to get used to handling them better. Nearly all the time is spent twirling. Having a bit of difficulty doing so while performing the breathing, but I'm sticking with it.<br>Accuracy is improving slightly. I can feel it.

Accompanied Sakuya on a large-scale shopping trip, as Remilia intended to hole up in the mansion until the incident is over. She knew about it beforehand, now that I think about it. Maybe her control over fate...  
>Sakuya seems a little annoyed that I'm on better terms with the villagers. They prefer to deal with me instead of her, and I caught her frowning at me. Maybe she's jealous, but I won't say that to her. She made me carry most of the stuff.<p>

Magic/Keyblade:  
>2330. I tried making needles differently this time, using a flick of the wrist. My success rate went down, but not as much as I expected. In return, the speed of formation has gone up. Perhaps there's a sort of template involved? If there is, then maybe that's how spell cards get formed? I'll leave the questions for another time.

Patchouli has been trying to get me to make my Keyblade materialize at a distance. Current activation distance is about half a meter, but it will go further. Not sure just what will come of this, but I'll just go along with it.

Asked Koakuma for a bit of help with my homework... at a distance. She's friendly enough to talk to, much more sociable than Patchouli.

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Sparring, strike combinations, meditation and Ki practices. Things are going as usual, with gradual improvement. I feel like I'm getting the hang of Meiling's flow... not actual battle sense, but more like where her attention peaks and wanes.<p>

A short break two days ago turned into a mutual nap, and Sakuya punished us both for it. We took our punishments (I think she was going easy on us. Meiling already takes care of the garden), but it kind of created a bond between us now. Training together, eating together, sleeping together, now getting punished together, would be weird if it didn't happen. Too bad it'll be a long time before I get strong enough (if ever) to realize that image where the two of us are guarding each other's backs.

Danmaku:  
>I took on Meiling's spell cards. Not so hard compared to Sakuya's, since they match her character in straightforwardness, but they're still tough due to their speed. Even her last one, that typhoon one was just pure overwhelming force rather than a planned pattern. Still, it's tough taking her on after all the exercising, so I lost three lives.<p>

Wow, I've grown accustomed to thinking of hits as lives lost. I suppose this means I awakened my danmaku self? Nah, my hand-eye coordination still sucks too much to be able to translate practical skills over to the games. I just know it.

* * *

><p>Finally a breakthrough... in a few ways. Incident still not resolved yet, but Patchouli set up a barrier to keep them from coming in. Remilia doesn't feel like kicking Reimu into gear to deal with it, so it might go on a little longer.<p>

Magic/Keyblade:  
>I managed to perfect the template for the needle. 100% efficiency in needle creation achieved for three days running, even when I alternate the creation method and hand. My speed has increased as well. One needle in the stable method takes about 0.8 seconds, while the fast method is like half of that.<p>

More homework identifying symbols and runes. I've been going around examining places with magic circles on them to get an idea of the symbols used, as well as the way they are arranged. Stabilizers, effectors and containers... I'm getting more and more interested in this field of study. Koakuma's been a great help, finding me books that are of use without my asking.

Keyblade activation range up to one meter plus now, but it somehow drains me.

Throwing/Chores:  
>Sakuya's skin is so smooth, almost like silk. I know this because she spent some time teaching me close-ranged knife fighting, and I was parrying her thrusts and slashes, which gave me the chance to touch her. Reading what I just wrote, I come across as a pervert. Dammit.<br>She's fast, and taught me where I'm leaving openings by aiming straight for them. Turns out I'm unconsciously putting openings that can be used as set ups for me to counter.

Improving on twirling, but still dropping some at times. Started throwing while moving, but not very good at it. My stationary throws have gotten good enough that all of the needles hit the wall, but not enough to land all on the small targets.

I've noticed that all of the notable servant figures here have some kind of main duty. Koakuma is a librarian, Meiling guards the gate, Sakuya does the cooking. Apart from Meiling, the other two handle other duties once in a while. Perhaps I should ask Remilia for a sort of main duty...

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Been training indoors lately due to the spirits. Meiling set up some bars and stuff, and made me do more exercises to strengthen my core and train in my flipping. Crashed a few times, but nothing serious since I took the falls properly.<p>

Others:  
>Marisa tried to sneak in again. I happened to have made a snack just then, so I shared it with Flan while watching her clash with Patchouli. I'm not sure I can take her spell cards on.<p>

Danmaku:  
>Just keep dodging~ Just keep dodging~<br>My stamina's gradually building up. I managed to take on Meiling and Sakuya one after another. Maybe I should challenge Patchouli or Remilia. NEVER FLAN.

* * *

><p><strong>THM! <strong>Pause. **THM! THM! THM! **Pause. **THM! THM! THM! **Pause. **THM! THM! THRRRRMMMM...**  
>That was the hit combination I was doing today when I met Kasen Ibara, the hermit who comes across as somewhat meddlesome. At least it explains why Komachi's been distracted the past few days. So there are tigers in Gensokyo (Shou aside), not every day you get to look one in the eye up close. A lot of other things happened today as well, plus I got this song playing in my head... (3)<p>

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Meiling explained the next level of Ki, demonstrating the seven colors. Reminds me a little of Hitman Reborn's Flames of the Sky (4), but the similarity is only due to the rainbow coloring.<br>**Red** is explosive damage, used for brutal blows meant to utterly destroy. One of Meiling's specialties, like her heavy punches.  
><strong>Yellow<strong> is piercing/sharpening, like a knife hand able to slice through rock.  
><strong>Orange<strong> is defense, something like a reinforcing layer of energy on the skin. Also another of Meiling's specialties, as proven by her Tiger Energy Release move. According to her, it can enhance base attack as well, but I'm not sure how that works.  
><strong>Green<strong> is propulsion. Meiling used it in a palm slap to the ground that caused the practice dummy to fly up. I suppose this is how those masters can send people flying without causing them any pain.  
><strong>Blue<strong> is... stable. Due to its stability, it's the best type of Ki that can be used outside of the body. I won't be doing a Hadoken anytime soon though. This explains how her other colored Ki types are able to achieve range.  
><strong>Indigo<strong> is speed. I think it removes the body's limiters, yet reinforces the muscles so that they can take the strain.  
><strong>Purple<strong> is manipulation. Meiling demonstrated with a long strip of cloth that she moved around like a gymnast doing ribbon gymnastics. It's probably my specialty, but since Meiling isn't too good at it, I should ask Iku if she can help.

It'll be a while before I can progress enough to attempt specialization, but it gives me an idea of what I want to aim for. Actually... if what Meiling said back then was right, my specialties are Red and Purple, explosive external and controlled internal Ki.  
>I shouldn't get too carried away. Look too far ahead, lose sight of what's before you.<p>

Marisa snuck in while she was demonstrating, and she got punished by Sakuya. Meiling was really into the demonstration.

Magic/Keyblade:  
>I'm now working on making ice knives. Sakuya has lent me two of her spares so I can study them, and I managed to produce one out of three on my first try after doing nothing but handling the knives for thirty minutes. Amazing condition they're in.<p>

Keyblade activation range nearing two meters, and the strain is lessening.

More homework on symbols and runes. Mainly fill in the blank questions, like what should be used to produce effect A or B. Had to crack a book to answer this one, but since it's only one book, I consider this an improvement.

Throwing/Chores:  
>It's harder to throw with a knife than a needle. I'm using my ice knife since it doesn't damage easily, and Sakuya doesn't trust me to throw her knives until I've improved enough.<p>

Negotiated with Remilia about having a main duty, and she agreed. I will handle the cooking some times, do my own laundry and clean my own room, but the rest of the time, I will be doing the duty she gave me.

LOOKING AFTER FLAN.

For someone who told me to try not to die, she just put me in contact with the one who's most likely at risk of killing me. Well, Flan does behave quite well around me...

Danmaku:  
>I had my first taste of laser dodging against Patchouli's spell cards (Suwako's doesn't count since they were more restrictive than anything). Her patterns loosen up the further out it goes, but I purposely forced myself into a close range battle so as to increase the difficulty.<p>

Self-grade: B-.

Others:  
>GOT IT! I 'm going to try to teach Flan to control her strength by letting her handle something fragile, like maybe thin wooden boards. If she can do stuff like standing them up and such, with increasing speeds, she should be able to control the force well enough.<p>

Aside from that last minute stroke of inspiration, I played the Onii-chair again, and fed her some cake and sweets, along with a bit of my blood as dessert.

* * *

><p>Overused Ki. Feel like crap. Bedridden. No training. Flan in bed with me. Hugging her from behind to keep her from hugging me. She smells... flowery.<p>

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Lost control of my Ki during a spar, and my energy went with it. No training for two days. Won't make this mistake again.<p>

Magic/Keyblade:  
>23 yesterday.

Attempted to explore Blaze Revive's abilities, but nothing concrete.

Managed to finish the last batch of homework without any glaring mistakes.

Throwing/Chores:  
>My left is better than right with knives.<p>

Nice to cuddle Flan. No lolicon meaning.

Others:  
>Sakuya said that the spirits were clearing. Must be Reimu or Marisa.<p>

* * *

><p>Recovered fully two days ago, faster than expected. Maybe it has something to do with what I did with Iku and Suika... Or it could be the worse alternative...<p>

**SHE'S BACK. **_**I'm back.**_

Yukari showed up for tea today. I wasn't sure how to react. She acted surprised to find me in this place, but that's hard to believe. As usual, I'm conflicted with the feeling of wanting to punch her. And she knows it. I'm being trolled.  
>Remilia purposely made me serve them tea, so I told her that she was evil again. Not like it helps, but at least I'm free to say it.<p>

Others:  
>Meiling thought my idea for training Flan was very good when I told her about it. I found her teaching Flan to control her strength, with a knee-high pile of broken boards. Had to encourage Flan a little when she seemed depressed about her failures. Besides being a chair, I now play a energy charger.<p>

On the other hand, she nearly blew Chen up due to jealousy. So I had to play bomb-defuser as well, since Yukari left it up to me. Good thing I found out that Flan melts when I nuzzle her neck and ear together.

I'm wondering again if Yukari hasn't been manipulating everyone to accept me... but that sort of thinking just makes it too easy to distrust others. Even if it's fake... the experiences are real.

Magic/Keyblade:  
>Handling the knives really pay off, since I managed to achieve three out of three. I can feel some more magic in them, so maybe I can create four. Sakuya even gave her approval for them, saying they were an exact match for hers.<p>

I learnt my first spell. 'Detect Magic'. It's a short chant that is easy to say, using a tiny spark of energy and no reagents needed. It works by stimulating a resonance with the magic in the target. I've seen some of the reagents she uses for her other spells... it explains why her body is weak. I'm not going to touch those without heavy protection. Not that I'm at a level to use them.

Keyblade... the mystery is starting to irritate me again. I always thought it comparable to Bleach's Fullbring, something I didn't find out much about since I left before that arc was completed. Wonder if it's over yet? Well, knowing the mangaka, it's probably still dragging on.  
>Bonds with other girls... the Keyholes in the secret passageways...<p>

Yukari definitely knows something, but hell if I'm going to ask her. _**I'm not going to tell you anyway.**_

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Finally got the hang of doing that back slam attack in a combo. Need to master my left side as well. I'm training it twice as much as my right for that purpose.<p>

Current level of Ki practice is to increase the speed of response in my body. Comparing myself against Meiling, she's literally a monster with the way she can channel her Ki near-instantaneously, not to mention the change in types.  
>Going from Blue to Red then Yellow... I think I vaguely understand just how some people can give up when they're confronted with their own limits. But while I know my own limits, I haven't reached it yet, so I'm not going to give up.<p>

Actually... it's a vague limit. Knowing you'll never match up doesn't tell you how far off you are from matching up.

Danmaku:  
>I should challenge Remilia sometime soon. Starting to incorporate counters as I dodge, as though fighting against an opponent who's throwing hits from nearly every angle.<p>

Throwing/Chores:  
>Sakuya is a knife master. Enough said.<p>

Flan tore some of my clothes when she insisted on helping me do my laundry, as well as broke the scrubbing board. I need to buy some more.

* * *

><p>I just reread my journal, and I found Yukari's handwriting! Dammit, Yukari! Utter breach of privacy here!<p>

I went to the village today due to circumstances, and did a few delivery side jobs. One of them took me to Myouren Temple, and I joined them for tea. Met two new members, a noisy Yamabiko (5) Kyouko Kasodani, and Nue's friend, a raccoon youkai by the name of Mamizou Futatsuiwa. Prankster as well, but more controlled. She tried to pose as Ichirin, but I caught her right away due to Unzan not being present. The leaf on her head cinched it.  
>I'm guessing that Mamizou would have been the EX stage boss of the new Touhou game, since she said she fought Reimu after Reimu beat the revived saint she was called in to deal with. Comes across as someone I can get along really well with. Especially when I told her about the circumstances that sent me out of the mansion.<p>

The new bunch of 'people' are Taoists, which must certainly clash with the Myouren gang since they are Buddhists. I'm not going to ask, considering that I have to go into a cemetery to do so. Too risky without the Keyblade.

Magic/Keyblade:  
>Started on trying to create one of the five elements that Patchouli uses. Utterly failing. Everything comes out in the form of ice. Not sure what the problem is. Creating knives and needles to keep in practice.<p>

Patchouli finally asked about how I unlock new Keyblade forms. After some thought, I half-lied that it was sex. When she didn't seem to believe her ears, I pulled that 11eyes (6) trick, and threw out every term I could think of that had the same meaning. She chased me out afterwards, which was how I ended up going to the village.

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Did a run to the village while channeling Ki. Was a lot faster and my pace never dropped. Didn't do any other training today apart from trying to increase the speed of Ki flow throughout my body. Reminds me of that Nen training Gon and the white-hair kid did in Greed Island (7). I'm curious to know how the training for the seven types of Ki will be like.<p>

Other:  
>Flan is improving. I got suckered into listening to one of her wishes if she manages to get Meiling's approval with her training. Hopefully she'll just ask for some of my blood.<p>

Mentioned Sudoku to Remilia, she found it interesting, and intends to ask Yukari to get a book on it.

Suwako, Suika, Yuuka, Marisa came to visit (sneak in for the last one), each on their own over the past few days at different times of the day. Suika came because I invited her when I met her at Komachi's place, and we snuck down to the boiler room to- _**What exactly did you do, hm? :D**_

Throwing/Chores:  
>Sakuya said she will allow me to use her spare knives for throwing if I continue to improve at my current pace.<p>

I tried Detect Magic while she was throwing coincidentally. She's using a minute amount of magic to improve her accuracy and power.

Looking after Flan as usual, with Meiling helping sometimes.

Danmaku:  
>Still too early to challenge Remilia, but I have enough stamina to handle fairy maids on top of Meiling and Sakuya now that I'm cutting wasted movements out of my dodging. At least I'm able to hit fairy maids after I dodge their attacks. Hitting fairies is remarkably therapeutic and stress-relieving.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Been a long while since you wrote in this.<strong>_

Dammit, Yukari! This isn't some exchange diary! I'm losing my mood to continue writing in this knowing that Yukari's reading it. What happened to peeping unobtrusively?

Intensely hard training for the last five weeks, so I'm having difficulty remembering what happened. Every day was like get up, attempt some magic, put my body and Ki channels through insane workouts, apply Eirin's medicines, play with Flan, then sleep before repeating it the next day. I was running on my Dying Will (4) mindset nearly constantly, only snapping out of it when I was with Komachi or Flan. I hardly remember what I ate for my meals, and I didn't really interact with the others much until that incident last week. I'll write about it at the end.

Weather getting hot and irritating. Remilia held a night sakura viewing party. People who I remember came were Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Komachi, Yukari, Yuyuko & Youmu, Suika and Aya. Team 9 was around, with Mystia managing her stand. Cirno tried to challenge me, but I had an excuse. Flan was allowed to participate as long as I kept control over her, and I got teased for being a nursemaid.

Martial Arts/Ki:  
>Been training the seven types with Meiling and Iku's help. It's all about manipulating the wavelength, similar to light. My progress felt quite fast, and Meiling said as much. Guess constant image and real training paid off, or I'm some prodigy. The breathing pattern has become natural, and my body seems to have adapted pretty well to the fatigue.<br>**Red**- Smashing rocks into small stones. Aya's help was enlisted in dropping me off somewhere near Youkai Mountain, and I had to make my way back smashing every boulder I came across. Took two days, and I met Hina Kagi-something, who gave me directions and told me where I could find stuff to eat. I was forced to smash a few youkais as well as a fucking BEAR. Amazing what adrenaline can do for your progress.  
><strong>Yellow<strong>- Chopping logs and poking holes in increasingly tougher materials over the period of a week using only my hands. There's an article in the Bunbunmaru about yells of 'Fork!', 'Knife!' and 'Leg Knife!' (8) coming from the Forest of Magic. Thankfully Aya kept my name out of it.  
><strong>Orange<strong>- Trained by just taking and dealing hits the right way. Not one of my specialties, so I can't do Tiger Energy Release like Meiling, but enough to weather Sakuya's kicks and slashes with only light bruises and scratching.  
><strong>Green<strong>- Punching eggs without breaking them or pulling punches. I broke at least two hundred eggs (provided by Yukari. _**You're welcome**_), even after practicing with normal pebbles first.  
><strong>Blue<strong>- I first had to channel Ki outside my skin, increasing the distance, then actually disconnecting while maintaining the Ki. The final step was to send it out to knock a stone over. 6/10 success, so far.  
><strong>Indigo<strong>- Meiling wasn't sure how to teach this one, so I'm simply channeling Ki into my muscles to overclock them.  
><strong>Purple<strong>- Iku shows me some moves with her scarf, and I try my best to imitate to get an idea of the flow. I've been incorporating it into my movements to dodge more efficiently.

Thoughts:  
><strong>Red<strong>- It feels like I'm wielding bombs in my hands that trigger on impact. Having difficulty using it in my legs and palms, easy in fists, knees and elbows. My and Meiling's specialty. I played with fire experimenting with this, and got burnt for it.  
><strong>Yellow<strong>- Feels quite easy to handle as long as I have the right image in my mind. Sometimes I get the urge to point up at the sky and saying that TTGL quote (9). Wonder if it's possible to mix with Blue to perform Rankyaku (10), should try.  
><strong>Orange<strong>- Since I mentioned Rankyaku, perhaps Tekkai (10) would be possible too? But then I'd be sacrificing mobility, so... no go. I should just train to activate defense instantly. Meiling has been talking about layering Red over Orange so I don't hurt myself, but it's difficult.  
><strong>Green<strong>- Doesn't feel like my specialty, but I can manage it well enough with my palms instead of my fists. Doesn't mean I should neglect the latter or my feet.  
><strong>Blue<strong>- Difficult, even with image training. Doing it with two hands has better results, but perhaps I should use it more like a close-range delivery system like how Meiling does. Still not going to give up on that Rankyaku idea.  
><strong>Indigo<strong>- Wonder if I can do that Shunshin (11) from Naruto? A mix of Green and Indigo in my legs for explosive acceleration. Hard to train without someone who knows how to teach it. I'm not even sure how it works apart from charging my body with the Ki type.  
><strong>Purple<strong>- Manipulation of flow is quite a useful ability. Apart from controlling my equipment, I can deflect my opponent's attacks to set up for an opening, kind of like Aikido. But I found out that I can use it to augment aerial movement, almost like a doll... This bears more research. Another one of my specialties.  
>Overall- I'm feeling kind of pleased that my improvement in Ki is so fast, considering that I was quite weak previously. But I'm going to stop trying to push myself so hard, and progress at a slower pace. No sense repeating that incident.<p>

Still keeping up with my sword techniques, but they may have gone a bit rusty.

I look damn ripped now. Hardly any fat left on my body. _**It's always fun watching you pose in front of the mirror. See, I'm still peeping unobtrusively.**_

Magic/Keyblade:  
>Wasted three days trying to make the elements, but surprisingly good success at controlling wind and water once they're present, with moderate control over the other three. A few days ago, I did a tai chi sequence as I moved the water in a basin out of it and around my body, and Patchy said that the movement showed that my Ki and magic are deeply synchronized, which is rare. She couldn't really explain it well, since she couldn't research much into Ki, and considering how Meiling isn't too good at explaining, I'm not surprised that she's irritated.<p>

Finally gave up on trying to convert the magic in the crystals for my use, and used my own. Took a great deal of research and five days to actually create anything. My seed amount of magic is fiercely resistant to being forced out, so each time I want to make an element, I need to cycle the energy through all five elements until it accumulates enough stress. A lot of work for very little return. Magic just isn't my forte, I guess. Ki is.

Magic and Ki... Kanka (12) might be possible, but first I need to know how to focus magic into a part of my body before I can test it. Patchy can't help me there, since her spells are all outwards-directed. I need to ask... Byakuren.

Learnt how to draw protective circles and set up weak wards, but no magic to go any further. I can do the drawing if someone else supplies the energy to empower the spell diagram.

Keyblade training:  
>Activation range- 4 meters. Existence range- 15 meters.<br>Managed to unlock mini-Keyblade ability just today. I'm not sure how, but could be due to the fact I stuck the key into my palm and turned, giving me a chain around my wrist with two chips on it. The one with the red scarf is obviously Iku's, but the other one is blank. Haven't tried to materialize Iku's Keyblade yet.

Mini-Keyblades can be materialized with the key within 0.7 meters, and remain materialized in a range of approximately 10 meters. Size, fits within palm. Maximum of two at any time, with a total of sixteen materialized in a row before whatever source of energy I'm drawing from runs out. Not all Keyblades can be materialized in mini form, and materialized ones have diminished effects compared to the original.  
>Life Eater- Creates a butterfly from target that I still have to cut. Explosion radius is less than half of original.<br>Eternal Inheritance- Single element repulsion effect within a radius of 20cm around the mini-Keyblade. Not possible to switch element-types during use.  
>Burst Needle- Single medicine type dosage with single use with lower level of effect. Not possible to switch medicine type during use.<br>Wavebreaker- Thirty meters range, non-homing, barely enough to knock a stone over.  
>Reaper's Toll- Black or white-bladed mini-Keyblades. Induces targets to act like magnets. Force exerted is similar to a light pull or push, independent of distance. Quite useful in everyday life. GET OVER HERE! (13)<p>

Possible to manifest the full Keyblade without holding the key, but it only happened during that incident. If I can control that ability, I might be able to dual wield.

Knives/Chores:  
>Sakuya recently gave me two of her knives, and even got me strap-on sheaths to go with them, as a reward for getting good enough to hit sixteen targets in a row while performing a series of acrobatic actions <em>and<em> dodging her thrown knives. It felt like a breakthrough when I did it... unnerving considering that it took place after the incident. Throwing knives and needles repeatedly all this while has created a sort of unity between me, the blade, and the target. The knives feel like a part of me now.  
>I think I'm using magic or Ki unconsciously to help aim a little though. But I don't feel that tired, so the amount of magic used must be really small.<br>Sakuya said it's because I have excellent body memory.  
>Of course, I'm not going to be able to do rebounding throws like she does. That goes beyond what's possible for me.<p>

I will never be excellent at cooking, but at least I know enough to get an acceptable taste, thanks to the few dishes I learned from Sakuya. My outdoor experiences gave me an education on gathering food in the wilds.  
>I can't believe nobody here ever thought of cheese sausages. Man, I missed that flavor, and everyone else found it nice. Managed to make popcorn, which made for a nice snack when watching danmaku battles.<p>

Flan managed to control her strength well enough to gain Meiling's approval, and she's been hugging me to show off. A few bruises sometimes, but at least it's not bone-breaking.  
>There were a few rough times during the training, but I managed to calm her down. Letting her snack on my blood, telling her stories, praising her, hugging and nuzzling her weak point. She still hasn't said what her request to me is.<p>

Played butler to Remilia and her guests sometimes. I think I can do it pretty well now. Going to be doing it a lot more.

Didn't go to the village or Hakurei Shrine.

Danmaku:  
>In addition to challenging nearly every visitor who comes to the mansion, yesterday I went through Meiling, Sakuya, Patchouli and Remilia, with added fairies, <span>twice<span>. Every single spell card in a row. Total lives lost: 6. Remilia- 4, Sakuya- 1, Patchouli- 1.  
>Scarlet Gensokyo is fucking hard, even with Ki enhancement.<p>

I don't feel like repeating it. It'll be a long time before I challenge Flan's.

Others:  
>My relationships with the others have progressed. Meiling and Sakuya are becoming close colleagues, and I'm even referring to Patchouli as Patchy. Remilia is like an elder sister to me, who acts like a little sister sometimes, while Flan is... she's a risk, in that sense. <em><strong>Oh my, you're such a dangerous predator.<strong>_

After reading through my whole journal, I'm sitting here thinking to myself as Flan dozes on my lap. Am I strong enough yet? Back near the end of winter, I wanted to be stronger. I knew back then I would never be strong enough to match the major players here, but at least I wanted to be able to give them a challenge.  
>The me right now... is much stronger than the me I was. But I didn't come to Gensokyo for that. I came to experience life here. Getting strong... isn't the main objective. Getting to know others and their way of life is.<p>

It took the incident to remind me.

The incident... it was stupid of me. What was I thinking then? Probably some crap about wanting to progress even further than I already had.  
>I just returned from training Yellow Ki in the Forest of Magic, and wondered if I could also do his other move (8). Hitting really fast didn't work, so I came up with something else.<p>

Red Ki packed within a layer of Blue Ki. It would be like sending bombs into the target to explode in a chain reaction.

It worked with two hits. The boulder I chose responded just as I had imagined it to work.

Then I tried three. I forgot about the condition of my body and Ki channels, and found out what happens if I overdo it.

The muscles on my arm exploded, laying the bone bare. I didn't feel any pain, but I was in shock, with my blood all over the place and even more spilling out of me. Compared to the time I nearly died, this was even closer. The only thing that brought me back was Blaze Revive.

I don't know- can't recall how it worked, but Sakuya told me that when I reached my hand out towards her without looking, formed the Keyblade without the key, and stabbed it into myself. Then my entire body changed into fire, and reconstructed itself with no blood or wound to show what had happened.

I was unconscious for a full day, and Blaze Revive refused to respond for two days after that. Every one of the girls showed up over the course of that time, each having felt something was wrong, and Mokou especially was really mad. Even Keine came. Probably to hold Mokou back.

It feels like a movie to me even now. The sight of my arm in that state, didn't feel like mine. But the sensation of being pulled out of my body was real.

I'm still human. Being reconstructed in flames didn't change anything.

Except making me rethink my intentions.

This will be the last entry. _**Awww... I thought you were going to go home.**_

* * *

><p>"Ikuto, what's that you're reading?" Meiling asks.<p>

"Just a small notebook with unimportant stuff." _Dammit, Yukari. Was this another test? _I glare at the gap youkai's handwriting. _She even expanded the boundary of a bracketed area to fit her own words._

"Can I see?"

"No way. It's personal." I refuse immediately.

"But you said it was unimportant." My trainer sounds a bit petulant.

"Unimportant to anyone else other than me." I smirk at her to take the implied edge off my words. "Just forget about it, okay?"

"You're different now." Meiling speaks with sudden seriousness.

"Hmm?" I murmur absently, focusing on the magic circle on the ground.

"A few weeks ago, you seemed like... emotionless."

I sigh. "Yeah, that was a mistake. Can we not talk about it? I rather focus on the future."

"Well, since you asked..."

I place kindling around the book, and let my magic trickle into the circle. With a snap of my fingers, small tongues of flame spring into existence, and eagerly devour the dry material. I continue to watch intently as the fire spreads, growing in strength, and consuming the book containing my brief record of my training experiences. Eventually, only ashes remain, and I straighten up. I kick the dirt I had dug out to make the pit the circle was in, and cover the burnt remnants until only the smell was left.

"You done?"

"Yeah." I breathe in deeply, and let it out even slower. _I think I'll just continue on as I am now. _"I'm ready."

"Okay then! Here I come!" A brief scrape of a shoe against the ground is the brief warning I get.

I spin hard, and my bare shin smashes against Meiling's as we both kick high, Orange Ki reinforcing our bodies. And our spar for the day begins.

* * *

><p>(1) Hunter X Hunter. Hunters wield this special ability that empower their bodies and grant them various abilities.<p>

(2) To the tune of Finding Nemo's Dory's song: Just keep swimming~ Just keep swimming~

(3) Guess the song! The relevant clues are in that section. I originally wanted to write a montage sequence with the song's lyrics slipped into it, like the Oregon Rickroll, but scrapped that idea.

(4) Hitman Reborn uses Dying Will Flames, which are differentiated into Storm, Sky, Sun, Lightning, Rain, Mist and Cloud, from Red to Purple, each with their own ability type. Dying Will is like having a 'Do it even if it kills me' way of thinking.

(5) A youkai that is said to be responsible for mountain echoes.

(6) The character is a sexy school nurse, and that scene was memorable. At least twelve different ways of saying 'sex', one of which was 'Gattai', which has the meaning of 'combine', and was used in TTGL.

(7) Gon and Killua had to increase the amount of Nen that flowed with their strikes, so that the final motion had a large deal of it packed into their fist to give it power.

(8) A Toriko reference! Damn good manga series. Besides his eating-related fighting moves, the other one is his Nail Punch, which is like driving a nail into its target, wrecking more damage with each successive impact.

(9) My drill is a drill that pierces the heavens! Or something like that. I forget. But in Ikuto's case, it would be 'my finger' instead.

(10) One Piece reference. The Rokushiki is a set of six skills used by CP9, one of the Strawhat Pirates enemy groups. Rankyaku, meaning Storm Leg, shoots cutting wind strikes with a fast leg kick, while Tekkai, meaning Iron Block, makes the body extremely tough, able to resist even bullets.

(11) It means Body Flicker. You know how they show ninjas vanish right before your eyes? That's this move.

(12) Negima reference. The full technique name is Kankaho, a fusion of Eastern Ki and Western magic, that will empower your body, though it will tax your physical and mental energy in return. Of course, magic in Negima is different from magic in Touhou, so we shall see...

(13) Mortal Kombat's Scorpion's famous line. Technically, it'd be more appropriate if he were to use it with Wire Performance, but sometimes you just see similarities no one else does.

I spent a week writing this chapter in my usual way at first, but then I realized that with my tendency to describe lots of things in what Ikuto experiences, it wouldn't be shortened in the least. So I decided to try a new way. New way, new possibilities to be random! Although it turned out shorter, probably because I wasn't used to writing like this and couldn't keep it up for long.

But random it was! Ikuto's brief (not so to him) journey into the realm of journal writing! Trying to stay his normal, random self at first, but gradually losing focus in face of the toughening trainings and devolving into an emotionless character who kept forcing himself onwards to gain more strength (which wasn't written down as that character wasn't the type to write, so you'll just have to imagine how the trainings were like from the brief account). Certainly, it had to be hard enough for Ikuto to make such leaps of progress that may seem unrealistic. But he's still nowhere near the level of Meiling.

Of course, Ikuto's confused, disordered way of thinking carries over into his writing. It positively rambles about stuff that he tries to keep in mind. Also, Ten Desires came and gone, in such a short moment.

Anyway, the future chapters will show Ikuto interacting with the SDM girls more, along with a few interesting events that I thought of as I was wondering what to write. Man, I hate and love it when I get these ideas; hate because I can't write them right away, love because they seem so inspired.

Now, there's probably stuff I wanted to say about this chapter, but since it's Christmas, I can't really be bothered to. Which means they mustn't be too important.

So, everyone, have a Merry Christmas! Thank you for following this fanfic, and I hope you all keep reading!


	45. Chapter 44: When it's Summer

Remilia shifts her bishop forward. "Check."

I grit my teeth. "Here." I shift my rook to block, knowing it's useless.

"And mate." She moves her own rook, ending the farce.

"It's my loss." I mutter.

"You know, it really is nice to play against you." She picks up her teacup and drinks from it.

"Which part? The one where you trash me? Or the part where I keep playing even after I know I lost?"

Remilia doesn't answer my questions, but continues to speak, "But this game was especially enjoyable."

I raise an eyebrow. "I can guess why. Revenge adds a nice spice to the taste of victory, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." The vampire mistress replaces her teacup on its saucer. "But really," She glances to the side, "I can't believe that gap hag. Holding her own party in _my_ home, of all places? The nerve of her."

"Nah, just relax. It's fun anyway. Right, Flan?" I turn to where her little sister is sitting on my left.

"Mmm!" She grins widely, and plays one of the cards in her hand.

But despite my reassurances, I'm feeling a little nervous myself. Yukari suddenly turned up on the doorstep of the mansion and with company, which is rare given that she usually teleports right inside alone. So even I'm confused when she turned up in the late afternoon with Kaguya, Eirin, Mokou, Yuuka and Suika. One danmaku battle between her and Remilia later, and a party is underway.

_Reisen was left to watch Eientei with Tewi. Just as well, though I think another voice of reason wouldn't hurt here. _I work on putting away the chess pieces before turning towards the TV screen Yukari gapped in. _Those two are really enjoying themselves._

"Hah! Missed me! You can't shoot for beans without a red shell, huh!"

"Then how about a blue one?" Kaguya retorts in a sweet tone of voice.

"DAMMIT!"

There was a remarkably convenient rain, so Remilia was forced to let the party inside. Suika, Meiling, Flan and Yuuka are playing some card game that I wasn't really paying attention to, while Mokou and Kaguya are enjoying Mario Kart, which Yukari brought without my asking, with the rest of us joining in once in a while. That was how I scored my victory over Remilia. And everyone else. For a game I haven't played it months, the controls came back to me nearly instantaneously.

Of course, the fact that I'm using the GameCube controller rather than the Wii version might have something to do with it.

"More tea, Patchouli-sama?" Sakuya's voice offers from behind me.

"Yes, thank you."

"What about you, Yagokoro-san?"

"Thank you."

"Onii-chan, hug!"

Without even having to think about it, I pull Flan's small body onto my lap, minding her wings, and encircle it with my arms.

"You seem particularly used to doing that." Yuuka observes.

I shrug rather than reply. _Really, just what is Yukari up to? She vanished off somewhere saying she had preparations to do._

"What about you, don't you do that as well?"

I stiffen on hearing the words Yuuka directed at Remilia.

The vampire bristles. "Why would I do such a-"

"Mm! Onee-sama should try it too!" Her sister interrupts, "Onii-chan is really nice to sit on, you know!"

Instantly, all conversation ceases as everyone looks at me or Remilia, who is turning red. Being somewhat used to it, I just bounce Flan up and down a little to distract myself from their stares.

"Kazami, I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut." She hisses.

Yuuka pretends not to listen, and drinks her tea.

"I can vouch for that!" Suika puts down her cards, an amused smirk on her face. "Ikuto is nice to sit on!"

_Haha, that's true. _Smiling slightly, I rest my chin on Flan's covered head, just like I did with Suika when she was in the same position.

"Especially..." The oni continues in a tone that bodes danger for me.

The vampire in my lap yelps when I suddenly twist to the side and cover Suika's mouth with an outstretched hand before she revealed the exact nature of some of our lap-sitting sessions. This is a nice advantage of being able to know what your partner's thinking.

"Mmm mmf mmph!"

"Oh? Just what is it that Ikuto doesn't want her to say?" Yuuka doesn't miss the chance to attack.

"Yeah, yeah!" Meiling chimes in, completely innocent in her intentions, but not helping. "What's so interesting?"

"I plead my right to privacy!" I say desperately.

"Denied." Remilia shoots down that hope. "Spill it."

"Flan, do you mind getting off for a second?" I try.

"Flan, stay on Ikuto's lap until we're done talking."

"Okay, Onee-sama!" Despite being her Onii-chan, her Onee-sama comes first.

_Damn. I'm cornered._ _Think! There has to be a way out! _"Umm..."

"It's skinship, you know, skinship!" Suika speaks up without a trace of embarrassment, now that my hand is no longer covering her mouth. "Sitting on his lap, with our skin in mutual contact, it feels much better that way!"

"Ho ho~" The sadist of the flower murmurs.

"Onii-chan, can we try that next time?" Flan asks. "It sounds interesting!"

Once again, everyone stares at me. Even the stares of Sakuya, Patchouli and Eirin are enough to set off my senses. _Fukou da__._

"Can we change the subject? Please?"

"But it's so fun..." Yuuka points out, and I notice Suika nodding.

"Why me?" I ask no one in particular. "Suika, gimme that."

* * *

><p><em>Ugh... maybe I shouldn't have drank so much last night. Then again, if I didn't drink, I would have to face that sober. And that might have been worse. And I don't even remember what <em>that_ is. Which means I achieved my objective. _I force myself out of bed and head over for the bathroom to wash my face. _And then there's the night visits._

The rain continued all the way throughout last night, so everyone stayed over, even Mokou, who needed some convincing. Sakuya prepared a few rooms, everyone split up, with the exception of Eirin and Kaguya. Suika came visiting at night, followed by Mokou. I'm surprised they didn't run into each other. Or maybe they did.

_Although I wonder why doesn't Yukari just gap them all back home. _I take a seat at the desk instead of on the bed to avoid getting lured back to sleep, idly looking at the books that now fill the shelf next to it. _It's- huh? What's this?_ I pick up and unfold the note that was left on top of the desk.

_**When it's summer, what is one thing that comes to mind? **_

I stare at Yukari's handwriting, confused. _Something's up. Definitely. _Wide awake now, I squint at the note, then sharpen my senses to scan my surroundings.

_Nothing... nothing... _My eyes widen. _The sound of water... this close? The lake isn't this close! _I rush over to the window and pull back the curtains, throwing the windows open.

Green palm trees.

"What."

White sandy beach.

"The."

A iridescent sea beneath a deep blue sky.

"HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLL?" I yell out, not believing my eyes.

"Summer means the sea, doesn't it?" Yukari's voice comes from behind me.

I turn around and get another shock. "Wha- You're kidding..."

The boundary youkai had traded her usual dress for a purple string bikini, though she kept her mob hat, and is carrying her open parasol in one hand. The other is tipping down the sunglasses she's wearing so she can look at me over their rims with mischievous golden eyes. Her long blond hair still has the ribbons tied in.

"Am I? Consider this a bonus gift. I've prepared swimming trunks for you in your closet, so take your pick."

"Wait, just what-" I start, but she's already gapped out.

_I'm not even sure if I should get pissed at her or just enjoy this. _I look at the window just as a warm breeze blows into the room, making the curtains flap. _Screw it. Let's enjoy this!_

Her choice of swimwear seems quite comprehensive, but I just grab the top one, which happens to be red, and yank it on. Next, I grab a towel from the bathroom, and tear out of my room. The first place I head for is Suika's room, and enter without knocking.

The oni is sprawled out on her body, snoring lightly. I know well enough not to try waking her up since she doesn't respond that easily, but head for the desk where a...

_White school swimsuit. _My eyelid starts twitching as I look between the article of clothing and the sleeping oni. _Never mind. I think I'll just leave her to wake up and join me on her own._

I don't bother looking for any of the others, but dash down the stairs three at a time and run straight out the front door. Beneath my feet, carpeting flows past and brings concrete, then grass, then sand... until finally...

"IT'S THE SEEEEA!" I yell out as the seawater splashes around my legs. _Oh man! I haven't been to the sea in nearly two years! Even before coming to Gensokyo!_

The clear blue-tinged water was nice and cool, providing a nice contrast to the warming rays of the sun. I splashed around a little, grinning widely, before going out of the water and testing the sand. It was nice and fine, wouldn't stick too much unless it was wet. All in all, this entire place was perfect for a resort.

_How'd she bring the whole mansion here anyway? _I look around. _Doesn't this damage the Hakurei Barrier? _

It looks like we're on an island now. I start exploring around the mansion first. It looks like only the mansion itself was moved; the surrounding gardens and wall aren't here, and a close examination of the ground around the building shows the usual garden grass suddenly transitioning to sandy soil. It looks like the boundary of the mansion itself was forcibly moved.

_Remilia's gonna be mad. _I complete my circuit around the mansion and come back to the front door, where rolled up mats and large umbrella are waiting. _Those weren't there before. Mighty considerate of Yukari to prepare them._

I unroll the mats and open up the umbrella to cover them, before dusting my feet off and heading back inside. My first destination is Sakuya's room. The reason? I need someone to cover my ass when I go to wake Remilia up next, and who better than her loyal maid Sakuya?

_Wonder what time she slept last night? Maybe I'll get to see her sleeping face! _A grin crosses my lips at the thought of seeing the elegant maid in such a vulnerable position. _Heh, maybe she drools or something? Or..._

My attention divided between the fantasy of finding the maid asleep and trying to be quiet so I can surprise her if she is, I fail to register the warning my instincts is screaming at me until it's too late; my hand has turned the door handle as silently as possible, and pushed it open.

Standing in the middle of her room with facing away from me, stands Sakuya in white lingerie; matching lace bra and panties, complete with garter belt, straps and stockings. Her silver braids wave as she turns slightly to look over her shoulder at me, giving me a clear view of her white-cupped assets and the maid uniform in her hands.

The voices in my head immediately start chattering. _No pads. Damn, so they're natural. Dude, you just walked in on Sakuya changing. You're dead. _My eyes widen as Sakuya's blue ones does, and I'm treated to the sight of her reddening features. "I'msorryexcusemyintrusion!" I make to pull the door shut.

This time, I hear my instincts' warning. An ice knife materializes in my hand as I leap aside to dodge the knives that suddenly shoot for me, and I use it to deflect a few more as she follows up. From the way the knives are embedding themselves into the wall, I don't have the protection afforded by a spell card.

"GAAAH! SAKUYA, PLEASE CALM DOWNNNN!" I yell, moving around her room dodging both direct and ricochet shots.

"HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF KNOCKING?" She snaps back, clearly furious.

"I WANTED TO SEE SAKUYA'S SLEEPING FACE!" My brain, more focused on staying alive, throws out my honest thoughts.

We both freeze as what I just said sank into our minds. Me perched on top of the end table next to her bed, she standing near the door covering her chest with one arm while the other clutches more knives. _Oh shit. _

The insane personality inside of me speaks up. _You should just go for broke, man. Can't get any worse,_ It advises.

"Sakuya, you're extremely pretty!" I blurt out each line with only a moment to think of the next in between. "That's why I'd like to see more of you! It's an enriching experience! Believe me, I'm being completely honest!"

"Do you... really mean that?" Still in the pose of having one arm cocked and ready to throw more knives, she asks hesitantly, her blue eyes unsure.

I nod furiously, watching the underside of her covered breasts rise and fall with her breathing closely. "Absolutely!"

Her shoulders slump. "So... I always thought you were a pervert." Sakuya mutters, "I see now..."

_Uh oh, bad feeling. BAD FEELING._

"...I was right."

"Nononono! You got it wrong!" I protest desperately, "Let me explain!"

I clap my hands together in front of my face in a pleading gesture, and something stings the tip of my nose. My eyes cross to see a knife caught right between my hands, the tip of it the source of the pain I'm feeling.

_That was close. _The insane personality observes tonelessly.

"Umm... you're supposed to stop attacking so I can explain." I point out, no more energy left to panic.

"Then stop staring any further!" Sakuya retorts.

"Yes, ma'am! No- Izayoi-sama!"

Two minutes later, I'm on my arms and knees in front of Sakuya as her shod foot grinds into the back of my head. Since I'm not too good at explaining things in my current state, I summed it up for her. One, the mansion had moved to the seaside courtesy of Yukari. Two, I was going to tell Remilia about it. Three, I wanted Sakuya around just in case. Four, I was really curious on seeing how Sakuya looked like when she-

"Enough." The pressure of her foot increases. "I have to see this for myself. Wait here."

The sense of her presence vanishes with the click of her watch, and I start counting silently. By the third count, it's back and her foot is on my head again.

"Okay. I see you're telling the truth." She takes the foot off. "Fine, I shall accompany you to inform Milady about this."

My innocence proven but still doubted, I let my mouth run as I get to my feet. "Of course I'm being honest with you! Especially about wanting to see-"

"Can I stab you?"

"I humbly refuse, Izayoi-sama." I reply instantly.

"Follow me." She snaps, "And don't call me that."

This time, I keep my mouth shut and meekly follow. From her muttering, it seems like she's counting on Remilia to do the deed of killing me. Well, not surprising, considering that the vampire should be in bed at this point of time, which means...

Remilia's bedroom is just off her throne room, through a set of double doors in a corner. The inside smells slightly of blood and some incense, and is nearly pitch-black. The faint crimson glow that illuminates the room comes from what must be a glass door covered by thick red blinds, and Sakuya opens them to admit a little more light, though still dimmed by the sheer red curtains in front of the door.

I squint a little as the inhabitant of the four-poster bed stirs. "Mmm... Sakuya...?" Remilia's groggy voice mutters.

Once again, I see a sight that few in Gensokyo must have seen. Remilia Scarlet, the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, in a pink nightdress with tousled hair and sleepy-looking eyes, sitting up in her own bed of pink.

_You can die now. _The insane personality points out.

_FUCK YOU. _I retort, walking over to Sakuya and making sure she's partially in front of me.

"What's..." Remilia's sentence is interrupted by a yawn. "Going on?" She finishes, still not fully awake. "And who's..." This time, she trails off as she finally notices my presence. "IKUTO!" The small vampire shrieks, pulling the covers up to cover her front. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Well, that's a good question." I quip in face of the killing intent she's directing at me, as Sakuya steps out of the way. _Thanks, Sakuya. _"I blame Yukari."

"A likely story!" Remilia scoffs, pointing at me with a trembling finger. "I don't see her anywhere!"

"It's not that she dropped me here. It's where she dropped _us_." I point at the glass door, indicating the outside.

"Us? Explain yourself!" She orders.

Sakuya picks that moment to step forward. "Milady, I have confirmed his words for myself. We're no longer in Gensokyo."

"WHAT?" I wince as Remilia shrieks again. "I have to see this for myself! Sakuya, my clothes! You, get out!"

"Yes, Lady Remilia." I beat it out of there with one last look at her furious, embarrassed expression. _Yay, I lived! Burn that memory into your mind, baby!_

* * *

><p>I'm walking along the beach, appreciating the view before my eyes as I scan around me looking for Yukari. Remilia had flown into a rage after seeing where her mansion was, and told- well, ordered- me to find that gap hag. Of course, I hurried to comply...<p>

Until I was out of sight. This place is made for enjoyment, so why shouldn't I enjoy it?

"Although I don't see anyone else..." I say out loud for my own benefit since no one's around to hear me. "So... where would Yukari be?"

"She's somewhere up ahead." A voice speaks from behind.

I react instantly; diving forward to put some distance between me and the speaker, I hit the sandy ground rolling, and come up to my feet in a fighting stance, ready for combat. That was one of the things Meiling trained me in, seeing as not all youkai would attack honorably.

The next moment, I relax. "Ran-san. Where'd you come from? And aren't you hot in that?"

Ran is dressed in her usual clothing of a white bulky dress that covers her whole body, and she doesn't look bothered by the temperature in the least.

"No, I'm fine." Ran replies, ignoring my first question. "I'm just here to tell you something." She adds, "You're not the only visitors here. In fact, Yukari-sama says you may recognize some of the others."

_Crossover series? Wonder who else exactly is here? _"Uh huh. And I suppose she wants me to avoid interacting with them?"

The fox youkai shakes her head. "No, you're free to interact with them if you wish. But avoid letting them know what you're aware of. Also, you'll find that their names will be disguised."

"Disguised? In what way- no, never mind. I'll just find out for myself." I shrug. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else." Ran pulls a handphone out of her sleeve. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

I watch as she dials a number and listens to the phone ring for a while, before a gap suddenly swallows her up, leaving me alone on the sandy beach. _Damn, that's convenient. Oh well, time to head on._

I spot the rising smoke soon enough, and the first person I see comes into view soon after that. She notices me just as I'm approaching, looking up from the sand castle she's building.

"What? There's another person here?" The small blond girl addresses me in somewhat archaic Japanese, similar to Kaguya. "Who're you?"

Her blond hair is in twintails, with what looks like two golden balls on either side of her face. Her green eyes are looking at me suspiciously me, taking in my appearance as I take in her one-piece blue-white swimsuit. Her body size is similar to Suika and Tewi's, so I'm looking down on her.

Already I'm feeling some sense of familiarity about this girl. I've never met her before, but I definitely seen her character somewhere. _Dammit, Yukari, isn't there some risk involved in crossing realities?_

"Didn't you hear me? Who are you?" The girl snaps, her temper rising.

"Why shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" I counter, "That's proper manners, right? Introducing yourself before asking someone else's name."

"Hmph! I don't have to give my name out to someone as rude as you!" She points at me imperiously. "Hurry up and tell me your name!"

"Oi! Dawn!" We both look up to see another girl waving at us in the distance. "Who's your friend?"

"He's not my friend! He's just some rude buffoon who won't give me his name!"

_Dawn? Is that this girl's name? Dawn... that's her name, but it's not her real name. _"Dawn?" I try hesitantly.

The girl immediately turns around to look at me. "Who gave you permission to call me by my name? You don't have the right to use it!"

"Oh, so there's a third group here, huh?" The other girl is closer now, having approached. "I'm ... Moon."

_I can't hear her surname. And her pronunciation of her 'name' is different from what I'm hearing, so obvious even I can tell without any lip-reading skills. _"I'm Ikuto."

As I introduce myself, I take a moment to check her appearance. Long, flowing red hair, blue-green eyes, a slender, but battle-trained figure in a blue bikini. As with Dawn, I have a strong feeling of having seen her before, though not in this clothing.

_Just where could it be from? Reality-crossing? Which one would be... _"Anyway, I'm looking for an... acquaintance of mine. She has long blond hair, and wears a mob hat. The last I saw her, she's wearing a purple bikini. Have you seen her?"

Moon smiles. "Oh, I think I saw her from a distance. There's a small eating place some ways down, you might want to try looking for her there."

"Thanks."

As I pass the grumbling Dawn, she mutters, "Rude buffoon."

"Noisy brat." I retort, and break off sprinting.

"UGYAAAAAH! WHY YOU!"

Moon's laughter follows us as the small girl chases after me, but with all my training, I'm much faster, and leave her far behind. I soon come across someone else, after I stopped running. This time, it's a couple. One is a guy with brown hair wearing blue swimming trunks, and his partner is a girl with black hair that goes all the way down to her knees, wearing a black-bordered white bikini, and is clinging to the guy.

"Hey, Wish-kun, put some sunscreen on me, would you?" The girl asks, sounding more commanding than inviting.

"Okay, okay..." The guy, whose name I hear as Wish, replies with an uncomfortable smile. "Just stop clinging onto me, Null-san!"

"What, you should feel honored that someone like me is clinging to you!" Null says indignantly.

I force my feet onwards... finally remembering where I've seen this bunch before, and who they are. Luckily, my attention is only afforded a curious glance, and I pass by undisturbed. _Which ending was canon, I forgot. But it can only be one of two. _(1)

I continue onwards, and eventually find the source of the smoke... and Yukari.

A brown-skinned guy with white hair, wearing long red pants and an apron, is grilling something I recognize as eel. He looks over in my direction in a manner that tells me he already knew I was there, and smirks as he sizes me up. Unlike the last party, this guy I recognize instantly. I walk close enough to see the nametag on his apron, and give a smirk of my own, looking straight at eyes that are on the same level as mine.

"Bow, huh?"

"Yeah. Want some?" He indicates the grilled eel on sticks in front of him.

"Sure." I take the offered food and bite into it. "Mmm! I don't usually eat eel, but this is good!"

"Thanks." He studies me. "You seem to be familiar with... other worlds."

I wave my hand back in the direction I came from. "Not like that other guy. I've only been to mine, and one other place. And that other place is technically in the same world."

Bow chuckles as he puts more on to grill. "You felt his power, then?"

"Yeah. The girl with black hair, she's just as powerful." I take another bite and chew it, swallowing before speaking again. "What about you? It's strange for someone of your... caliber to be working at a stand like this."

The man's expression darkens. "My... misadventures in other worlds can usually be blamed on two things. One is... never mind, but the other is this guy who's inside the store." He jerks his head towards the shack behind him. "He's got gray hair and a full, short beard, but no mustache." Bow rolls his eyes, sighing. "Ah well, he's the only guy in there. The other person in there is..."

"This blond woman wearing a mob hat and a purple bikini." I interrupt.

He nods. "So that's the person you're looking for?"

I nod back. "Yeah. Just like you can blame stuff on your guy, I can blame stuff on her." I finish the rest of my eel and toss the stick into the bin nearby. "Can I have another?"

"Help yourself."

I take another stick of eel and enter the place, blinking as the transition from bright sunlight to dark shade takes a while. The person I was sent to look for is sitting in the corner, across from the man I was told about.

"Ah, you're here, Ikuto. Come on over, let me introduce you to a friend of mine." Yukari invites.

I grab a chair on my way over, and seat myself between the two. "Hi, I'm Ikuto. Nice to meet you." _Eating the eel gives me an excuse not to shake hands. _Up close, it's enough for me to tell that he's not human.

The old man nods. "Hm, I guess you can call me Zel."

Despite his distinguished features, the old dude looks rather at home in Hawaiian print shirt and shorts, and he even has a pair of shades to match Yukari's on top of his head. Despite having less of an oppressive pressure compared to Remilia when he examines me, I can tell he's using magic to probe my abilities.

"So this is the lad you were talking about, Yukari?" He asks the gap youkai.

Yukari inclines her head. "Indeed. He's been rather fun to watch."

"I can imagine just _how_ much fun you're having at my expense." I add dryly. "Anyway, Remilia's looking for you. Something to do with dropping her house in the middle of God-knows-where."

Yukari simply opens her fan and starts fanning herself. "Some people just can't handle a joke." She sounds miffed.

_I don't think that's on the level of a joke. _"So? Are you going to see her or not?"

"Mmm... but I don't feel like doing so..." Yukari mumbles unconvincingly.

_SUSPICIOUS! DEFINITELY SUSPICIOUS! _I tense up.

She suddenly snaps her fan shut. "I know! Maybe you could convince me to do so?"

My head thunks down on top of the table. "I hate you."

"Ehhh, why would you say that?" My tormentor asks in mock horror. "Surely you'll just listen to one little request of mine?"

"Something tells me it's not going to be little." I turn my head to look at her partner. "Right, Zel?"

Zel chuckles. "Ha ha ha, you have it hard, lad."

_I don't see you helping. _I turn my head back down on the table. "What is it?"

"It's nothing hard at all." Her voice speaks playfully, "Just find Chen for me, if you would."

"Chen? Oh come on," I raise my head to glare at her. "You know where she is, don't you? What about Ran, surely she knows where her own shikigami is?"

"But this is my request to you, Ikuto."

I groan as Zel guffaws. "Fine," I stand up. "I'll go look for her." _Better than staying her and talking to her when she's like this._

As I exit the place, the voice of the person known as Bow calls out to me. "Hey kid!"

"I'm not that young. What is it?"

"Mind doing me a favor?" Without waiting for a reply, Bow thrusts a tray loaded with various grilled foodstuffs at me. "Over there, there's this blond girl with her hair up in a bun behind her head. She's about this tall." Pointing with his right in the direction I was intending to search, he holds up his left palm down around his chest level. "That's all for her. Goes by the name of Sword."

I note that the pronunciation doesn't match the name I'm hearing again. "Oh. Okay." _So she's here too. _"Is she with anyone else?"

"Only a twintail tsundere and an idealistic idiot." He replies, straight-faced.

I snort and turn to leave with my food delivery. "Got it."

Apparently the smell was indication enough, as I find myself confronted by the short green-eyed blonde Bow had spoken off as I turn around the blind corner formed by some rocks. She stares at me in surprise, before dismissing me in favor of the savory-looking food in my hands. I note the white one-piece she's wearing, and find it appropriate given her personality and status.

"Sword, I presume?" _Small chest._

My voice appears to startle her out of her focus, and she looks at me with disconcert. "Ah, yes, that's me." Her tummy emits a loud grumble, and she reddens.

"Food delivery for you." I tell her with a small smile.

"Sword, is that the food? Finally!" A voice that borders on being slightly shrill draws my attention to the twintailed brunette I was expecting coming up behind the blonde. "Who're you?"

"Dignity." Sword looks over her shoulder at the other girl

_This name-disguising is bothering me a little. A one-syllable word sounding like three... _"..." I think for a moment. "Someone who got roped into this by forces he can't oppose."

I meet her suspicious glare with a bland one, and extend the tray of food slightly forward in an invitation. The blonde immediately takes it from me, and begins eating one of the grilled sticks.

"So? What are you still here for? If you're done here, then go away!"

"Dignity, he's not hurting anyone."

"Oooooi! Sword! Dignity!" The two girls turn at the sound of the man's voice calling out to them.

For the third time, my expectations are right. The guy who had spoken had somewhat spiky, short red hair, and he's wearing blue swimming shorts.

"Shi, the food is here." Sword mumbles through a mouthful of food.

"Oh! Let me have some too!" The guy whose name I heard as Shi, reaches out, and the blonde hands it over with some reluctance.

"Err, excuse me, but have you seen this small girl? She's wearing a green hat and has cat ears, and has two tails as well." I ask them.

"No, we haven't seen anyone like that." The girl known as Dignity replies instantly.

Her companions shake their heads as well, so I give up and head back. _Mmm... something tells me I'll find Chen back at the stall. I think Yukari just sent me out for the heck of it._

* * *

><p>When I return to the mansion after turning out to be right, I find everyone except Flan in their swimsuits, even Remilia and Patchy, who are reclining on beach chairs under another beach umbrella, the former with a glass of iced tea, the latter with a book.<p>

"You're finally back. I thought I was going to have to send Sakuya out to get you."

_Frilly pink bikini... a bit of alteration and it would look appropriate for nightwear. _"I take it Yukari came by?" I say dryly. _As for Patchy, hers is another one-piece in light purple, with a star and crescent moon mark near the belly button._

"Indeed. We had... words." She comments distastefully.

Behind her book, Patchy lets out an almost inaudible snort. I noticed that most of the palm trees around the place have been severely damaged, some to the point of being broken off entirely. Guess their 'discussion' had been rather spirited.

"So, she told you we're spending the whole day here?"

Before Remilia can reply, two arms snake around mine, and I'm suddenly being dragged off away from Remilia. Glances over my right shoulder and the feeling against my left identifies my captors as Yuuka and Suika.

"You're finally here. We were waiting for you."

"Yeah! The guy is supposed to do stuff for the girl at the beach, right?" Suika chimes in.

_Yukari again, I bet. _But I don't resist, since this is a first experience of me. _Spoiling a girl like this... _

They drag me over to the umbrella I had set up before I left on Remilia's errand, and release me to join the others there.

Yuuka is wearing a bikini with the same red plaid design as her usual skirt, tied in front between her breasts, and a sunflower-patterned orange cloth around her thighs and tied up at one side. Suika's wearing the white school swimsuit I saw on the desk, which somehow emphasizes the slight curve of her figure. Kaguya is sitting under the umbrella, leaning back on her hands with her legs crossed, looking very used to the black, frilly-skirted low-back one-piece she's wearing, while Mokou is the opposite, sitting curled up with her arms around her legs and-

I blink, eyeing the wrapping on her chest and the fundoshi she's wearing. _Either Yukari picked that for her, or she didn't want Yukari's choice. I think it's the latter._

She notices me staring. "What?" She snaps.

"Rarely swim?"

Mokou doesn't reply; she just glares at me until I look away, with Kaguya chuckling. The sound of her rival's mocking laughter sets off a chase down the sandy beach, the princess dodging her pursuer's fireballs.

_Well, let's leave them at that. _I look around for Eirin. _Ah, there she... is..._

Compared to all the other girls I've seen so far, Eirin's swimsuit is much more seductive. The red and blue triangles that make up the top not only emphasizes her cleavage, but reveals a generous portion of the sides, held up by strings that look like they're barely managing to hold back the destructive firepower within. As for the lower half, it's hung rather low, with the blue meeting the red in a way that draws attention to the lack of something... and narrowing straps that she confirms as a thong back with a slight turn, which also reveals that her rear has similar deadliness.

I stare one moment longer, then turn away and bring my legs up to hide my own natural reaction. The flower youkai and oni smirk at me, already lying down on the mats.

Something touches my face. "Here," Eirin's voice speaks, "I believe you need this."

I take the bottle from her. "Sunscreen?"

"That's right." Her arms wrap lightly around my neck, speaking softly into my ear as a soft sensation presses itself against my back. "Would you be so kind as to apply it on, to, me?" She coos, emphasizing the last few syllables with an increase in pressure.

My relationship with Eirin has pretty much turned into a back-and-forth battle where we try our best to invoke feelings of embarrassment in each other. Her attacks often relies on a combination of invoking my own sexual desire combined with the presence of others, as she's doing now.

"It's your win this time." I murmur back, resting the wrist of the hand holding the bottle on top of her crossed ones. _But I'll have my revenge when we're alone..._

"Don't forget about me too, Ikuto!" Suika reminds, kicking her legs as she lies on her front.

"And me as well, of course?" Despite Yuuka's words, what she's saying is definitely NOT a question.

As the three of them prepare themselves (Suika shamelessly slips down her top, exposing her chest for all to see), I look around for the others. Kaguya and Mokou are still playing their game of tag, but what I'm more interested in is a closer examination of the three servants of the mansion.

Koakuma is living up to her nature as a succubus with a dark red piece that is smaller than Eirin's, and unintentionally increasing its deadliness by acting shy about it. Meiling's is a green strapless top with black cord crossing the front that somehow makes her chest look smaller than it normally is, although there's still a visible amount of cleavage, and the lower half somehow has the same Chinese-style front and back flap her normal uniform has. As for Sakuya, it's a dark blue sports bra-style that hides the issue she's touchy about, with a small apron to-

I lean out of the way of a thrown knife. "Looking good, Sakuya-san!"

"Stop staring!" She flings a few more, and I dodge them easily, knowing those behind me would be fine.

"Okayyyy!" I turn back to the other three, who are waiting expectantly. "So," I upend the bottle on my other palm, putting a large dollop of sunscreen on it. "Who wants to go first?"

"That would be me," Yuuka replies calmly as she puts down the knives she caught in her hands, but still smirking, "Unless you'd rather lose control of yourself?"

I blink. _That's a VERY good point. The tension involved _touching_ Yuuka will definitely kill my boner. _"I'm not sure if I should hate you or thank you."

"You can just apply sunscreen on me." Brushing some of her curly green hair away from her face, Yuuka settles herself back down, the sunflower cloth beneath her body.

I can feel Eirin and Suika staring at me intensely as my goopy hands stretch slowly for Yuuka's slightly tanned back. I can hear my heart beating increasingly faster with the shortening distance; I guess this is how it must feel to defuse a live bomb, one capable of killing you even through the toughest of blast armor, of which I'm wearing none.

_Ah, screw it. I saw Sakuya and Remilia in outfits that are mildly embarrassing, came across the incarnation of Destruction, talked to two Servants, and I'm still fine. Besides, she asked for it. _I refused to let my mind put my emotions into clear sentences lest the gods of irony take notice and hammer me for it.

"Mmmm~" Yuuka lets out a sensuous moan as my hands start working over her back. "Make sure to cover me totally."

"Actually, does a youkai like you even tan or sunburn?" I ask, hoping I'm not putting too much pressure.

"Why do you think I have a parasol?"

"To Master Spark others." I reply promptly.

Suika chortles, while Yuuka mumbles in amusement. "Legs too." She reminds.

I think my brain must have switched to autopilot, because the next thing I know, I'm apply sunscreen on Suika. Any attempts to remember what it was like to touch Yuuka's toned, muscled legs- wait, what was I thinking about again? Oh right, I need to apply sunscreen for Suika. Contrary to my expectations, the act of touching Yuuka's body was not enough to curb my current desire from caressing the small oni's body.

Doing Eirin is worse; the sight of her soft flesh bulging out in response to my pushing down harder, the appreciative sounds she made when I touch her legs and butt... and made worse by the sneaky smiles she flashes me whenever she noticed me looking at her face. I promise myself that I would have my revenge later when we were alone.

It didn't really seem necessary for Kaguya and Mokou to undergo it too, given their nature. But of course it wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to just pass them over. One minute into watching Mokou struggle against Kaguya holding her down so I can do my job, I dump the whole bottle over both of them and watch them go at it, while Suika does my back.

Still no nosebleed yet. I'm jaded. Then again, I'm typically bad in the mornings, so maybe I'm slightly anemic and therefore can't do that reaction.

But even if I don't have any nosebleeds, there are some physiological reactions that are noticeablely present even if they are not easily noticeable. Considering there's still some time before lunch, I engage in some innocent-looking cuddling with Suika, then make my excuses to go back into the mansion and back to my room, where I lock the door, and wait for the mist to come from underneath it.

I rejoin the rest just as Sakuya is serving lunch, and though I get some suspicious, and in Eirin and Yuuka's case, knowing looks, the large majority of the group don't seem to suspect the deed. Although Sakuya seems more suspicious than most considering the sudden difference in the way I act when I look at her.

"Thanks for the great meal, Sakuya." I say in a comradely fashion, patting my full belly. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

The maid takes in my innocent and no longer lustful gaze with a hint of distrust. "...alright."

As we're carrying the dishes to the kitchen to wash them, I try my hand at starting a conversation. "Are you going to spend the whole day looking after the others?"

"It's my duty." Her tone makes it clear what she thinks I'm trying to do.

"I'm not trying to get you to goof off." I respond placatingly, "I just think that maybe you could try to enjoy this setting a little."

She gives me a hard look.

"Aside from being dropped in the middle of nowhere." I add. "But really," I continue, "Have you ever been to the sea before?"

Sakuya doesn't speak for a moment, but in the end she shakes her head. "No."

"Then you should at least try to appreciate being here a bit. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?"

"What's lemonade?"

I facepalm. "Lemon juice mixed with water and sugar to make a refreshing drink." I explain.

"Something like your cheese sausages?" Sakuya comments dryly.

"If you mean tasting good despite never making them before, then no." _Never tried making lemonade before._ "Probably need some experimenting first. And don't change the subject."

A momentary smiles crosses her lips. "I tried." The maid murmurs.

_Sounded like she made a joke. _"Say, how about you, me, and Meiling go for a walk? There's this food stand further down the beach that has some pretty good grilled dishes." I invite impulsively.

There's always something about Sakuya that attracts me. Back before I came here, she was my favorite character to play with in the fighting games, and after I arrived and actually got to know her, the attraction has increased. It has something to do with her elegance, I suppose. And that soft side hidden beneath the ice queen exterior. She might be fiercely loyal to Remilia, but she cares a lot about everyone in the mansion (fairies aside).

There's something that looks like gratitude in her eyes when she looks at Remilia. Patchouli and her have a good working relationship, enough that Sakuya sometimes go out of her way to cater to the sorceress's wishes. Koakuma gets some assistance from her, and she treats Meiling like a little sister-close friend mix. As for Flan...

"Onii-chan!"

I raise my hand up as the small vampire closes in, and she slaps it painfully in a high five, our arranged exchange that is much safer compared to her original hug attacks. "Hi, Flan."

"What are you and Sakuya wearing?" Flan giggles, "You both look weird."

The two of us exchange a look. "I guess it is, huh?" And Sakuya nods in agreement. "Anyway, Flan," I turn back to the vampire, "Do you... have you seen the sea before?" I change my question halfway.

"The sea?" Flan tilts her head questioningly, making her wing crystals tinkle slightly. "Is it the one with lots and lots and lots of water?" The eagerness in her voice rises with each word.

I nod, smiling. "That's the one. Want to see?"

"I wanna see!" She chirps, making Sakuya and I smile.

I turn to the girl next to me. "There should be a swimsuit in her room, if I'm guessing right."

She nods and pulls out her watch, vanishing with a click. Meanwhile, Flan wraps her arms around my sides and pulls herself in, resting her face against my chest. It tickles a little with how she sniffs deeply, but I bear it.

"Onii-chan smells nice..." She murmurs, "There's that funny smell in Onii-chan's pants again."

I freeze. _There's that bad feeling again. Damn you, Obi-Wan, your phrase is cursed! _(2)

Flan takes another deep breath before speaking once more. "Smells... delicious."

A soft thump draws my attention. Sakuya is staring right at me, horror and shock in her expression, as the red swimsuit meant for Flan lies on the ground in front of her. _Uh oh. She came. She heard. She's gonna kick my ass._

Flan is... like a treasured little sister to Sakuya, even if the latter doesn't show it often.

* * *

><p>"I told you, I'm not going to do anything to Flan." I grumble, wincing as my moving jaw aggravates the small cuts I received from Sakuya.<p>

"Meiling, tell that pervert that I don't want to talk to him."

"Ikuto, Sakuya says she doesn't want to talk to you." The redhead in between us tells me in a serious tone.

We both stare at her, with gives a brief moment of eye contact. The unintentional bonding over our mutual surprise seems to defuse the tension between us a little, although she makes a point of turning away and ignoring me.

_So is Sakuya a tsundere or kuudere? Man, this question is harder to answer compared to the one about whether she wears pads or not. And at least that one can be seen for myself._

Despite her current treatment of me, Sakuya still agreed to go for a walk with me and Meiling, although she made sure to keep Meiling between the two of us. We came across the first party I did when I first arrived, but apart from exchanging nods with Wish, the only one still awake while the rest snoozed, we kept walking.

"So Meiling, have you seen the sea before?" I inquire, indicating the entire place with a wave of my hand.

"Mmm, I can't remember. But I don't think so. It's really big, isn't it? I can't even see until the end."

"Yeah... in some places, you won't see anything but water even if you fly at Aya's speed for a few days."

The gate guard gasps. "It's _that_ big?"

I nod. "At least from the maps I've seen." _Who know how big the seas of this place are? _

"What do people do when they come here?"

"Swim, rest, play." I shrug. "It's all about interactions, and setting."

Meiling is always the steadfast one. She's very much the 'my pace' character, only spurred to action when a visible threat is involved. Even with the exclusion of that, there's very little that can rattle her, and I haven't seen her lose that cheerful air even once. Somehow this easygoing character even carries over to her strict style of training; it's kind of weird to see her threaten me into pushing myself further with a relaxed grin on her face, but since it's the words and not the tone behind them, the motivation's there.

_Sakuya's the ice queen and Meiling's the energetic girl... nice combo, I guess. _

It's a bit weird to see Ran running the item store, but it's compounded even more when she actually speaks like one after we 'purchase' a few toys for the rest to play with.

"Come back again." The fox youkai says tonelessly.

"Do you know how weird that sounds?" The words pop out of my mouth before I know it.

"Yes."

I leave shaking my head in disbelief.

"How do you play with these, Ikuto?" Meiling asks, looking curiously at the items we're carrying.

_They don't really have plastic in Gensokyo, apart from the kappas' creations and the stuff that gets in through the boundary, like Kourindou things. _"The colored digging tools and buckets are for Flan. The disks and the ball are for us, and the ball is meant to be used with the net... once I get the hang of it."

I used to suck at my hand-eye coordination, so badly I stayed away from stuff like badminton and tennis. It improved a little after I took up Arnis, but I never tried those sports after I did. That's why I technically feel more comfortable about using my hands in a fight. As for sword fighting... I guess it's a matter of using it enough until it feels like a part of my body rather than an item I'm wielding.

Our reappearance with the items is greeted with much curiosity. I waste no time in showing Flan how to use the tools to make sand castles... and then watch as she blows them up. It's kind of morbid how I'm playing along, making squeaky voices begging Flan not to do so before she clutches her fist and creates an explosion of sand. I leave her safely under an umbrella with Suika, who uses her ability to easily gather the sand for shaping so they can make bigger and bigger works of art... before blowing them up.

_That reminds me of that blond guy with mouths on his hand and a penchant for blowing things up. _(3)

My body reacts suddenly, twisting out to the side as my hands snake up and out, clamping down on the Frisbee that had been aimed for my neck. Despite the force I'm exerting, the force of the spin is enough to sting my palms. I lower the caught disk and look at the thrower accusingly.

"Not bad. I expected you to dodge, but catch it too?" Yuuka comments with a hint of approval in her voice. "You've gotten good."

"Thanks for the compliment." I reply in a flat tone, and flick the Frisbee back, aiming for her legs.

She catches it when it suddenly curves up, courtesy of the angle I released it at. "Ho~ So that's how you can throw them..."

Instantly the mood changes, Yuuka's intention bringing the rest of us to full alert. Four disks total. Yuuka, Meiling, Sakuya, Kaguya, Mokou. Six of us. Part of me is responsible for my face paling, the other part is looking forward to this mock battle.

"Meiling!" I snap, dashing at an angle that puts more distance between me and the flower youkai, while still keeping her in sight.

"Yeah!" She throws me a Frisbee like a discus.

I catch it the same way, twirl it back and around, and launch an underhand shot at Yuuka. "Try not to destroy these!"

"Of course." She barely shifts, but the projectile is already in her hand.

_Damn, she's good._

"Take this, Ikuto!"

I respond to Mokou's warning by kicking up some sand, disrupting the Frisbee's momentum enough for me to grab it. "Kaguya, it's yours!" I toss it towards her in a gentle throw, sprinting back in response to another of Mokou's shots.

The princess of the moon slaps the disk down as she ducks, part of her hair sliced off by the shot I'm chasing. Even as it starts regenerating, she rises and throws towards Mokou... a weak throw that is practically a giveaway.

"Hah!" Her rival jeers, easily catching it. "Sheltered princess can't throw, blearh!" Mokou sticks out her tongue, a sight so funny I almost forget to throw.

"Meiling!" I join my sudden twist with a jump. "Catch this... NOT!" I throw with a bit of Ki.

Hearing my added word, Meiling ducks down and lets the disk curve around her, catching Sakuya by surprise as the maid was about to throw the disk she's carrying.

I didn't manage to catch her reaction, since Yuuka just tried to get me again as I land. This time, I jump up and stomp the disk flat into the sand, before leaning back and redirecting Sakuya's revenge shot at Mokou with a finger. Purple Ki is so useful.

I pry the Frisbee out from the sand under me, and aim for Sakuya this time.

She performs a graceful corkscrewing somersault, catching it as it passes beneath her. Yuuka is nearby, having moved to grab the other disk that the maid dropped during my attack. Mokou has managed to catch the missile I aimed at her, and is looking at me with vengeance in her eyes.

"Oh fuck." I mutter, seeing three disks coming for me. "Maaaaatriiiiiiix..." (4) I say in pretend-slow motion as I lean back exaggeratedly, to let them fly past over me.

Of course, I'm not good enough to come back up again, so my back lands in the sand. In addition to that, I'm considered 'out', and have to go get the Frisbees.

_Reminds me of Calvinball. _(5) The rules for our Battle Frisbee match was formed on the fly, but it was fun. _Damn Yuuka... just how far did she throw? _I jog after the small colored dot in the distance, then start sprinting to train myself on sand.

After I finally bring it back, we play at a more relaxed pace. That's not to say we didn't have any fun; there's one instance where I find myself back to back with Meiling, and we catch the Frisbees aim at us, turn, and throw them at each other's attacker, while another instance has me impressing some of them when I throw a zigzag Frisbee that goes around three people to hit the last one.

_Damn, that was harder than it looked. _I think, shaking my hand as the pins and needles feeling of Ki strain fills it. "Come on! Giving up already?" I taunt.

After a particularly funny and impressive one where I dodge behind the giant sandcastle Flan and Suika are building and throw the disk through just as the vampire blows it up, I finally decide to call it quits.

"Whew... that was... slightly tiring." I'm only breathing a little hard, testament to my Ki and danmaku trainings.

"Ikuto, you should reapply the sunscreen." Eirin holds out another bottle.

"Thanks, Eirin." I accept the bottle after cleaning my hands, wiping off the sweat from being out in the sun before doing as she told me. "What were you doing, the three of you?"

"Reading." Patchy murmurs.

"Watching." Remilia fans herself with the large hat, sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Supervising." Eirin takes the bottle back and helps me cover my back. "The other girl is bringing books." She informs me, her body extremely close to mine.

"Mmhmm." I take a quick look around, and seeing that everyone looks sufficiently distracted, steal a kiss off her lips.

"You're going to get me afterwards, hmm?" The pharmacist with a braid whispers, knowing what I meant.

"You bet."

"Flan, don't go into the water, it's not good for you." Remilia calls out to her sister. "Let the oni do it instead."

"Ikuto, can you help me open my gourd? My hands have sand on them and I don't want to get any in my sake."

"Coming!" _She could just use her teeth._

"Then could you feed me mouth-to-mouth? I don't want the gourd to slip because of the sand on my hands." Suika asks innocently.

Of course, I comply. After I'm done, I pull apart to notice that nearly everyone is watching us closely.

"What are you all looking at?" I inquire, and receive amused negative replies. "And Suika, you got sand in your hair."

"Ah, that's simple enough." She gestures, and the sand flies out from her orange hair to form a perfect ball above her hands... which are conspicuously clear of sand as well.

"Ah ha." I murmur, patting the soft palm.

She just grins cheekily, knowing that I already knew she was just faking to get some affection.

"Onii-chan, was that a kiss?" Flan asks intently.

"Nope, that was mouth-to-mouth feeding."

She frowns, touching her own lips before realizing she has sand on her hand. "It looked like a kiss."

"Yeah," I nod, "It does."

Suika bursts out laughing.

* * *

><p>Later, as we're all resting or napping under the umbrellas due to the increasing heat of the sun, we start chatting about random things, like whether anyone has noticed the disappearance of the mansion, what was Aya going to write about in the Bunbunmaru next, what sort of world did we arrive at, etc. Flan is still at her cycle of build and demolish, and is currently working on a castle twice her size.<p>

"So how do you play with this ball, Ikuto? Does it have anything to do with these poles and net?" Meiling finally asks, having been the one to carry the items.

I peek out from under the umbrella to see a gigantic patch of white steadily inching across the sky, promising some shade and relief from this heat. "Yeah, I guess I should give it a try..."

Following my instructions, Meiling helps to set up the beach volleyball net, and then we roughly estimate the play area by dashing around it for a bit. In the end we settle for a rectangle divided into two perfect squares by the net, and mark it with Patchouli's magic. Next comes the rules... all I recall of the scoring system is that reaching twenty-one points makes a set, with a minimum two points lead should both sides tie at twenty. But other than that...

"Full body use?" Sakuya suggests.

"I think so. But no catching or holding the ball." I press my forehead with a finger, trying to recall more. "Of course, no flying." I add as an afterthought.

"How many on a team?"

"Two, if I recall correctly. Three would be hard-pressed to coordinate in a space like that." I answer Meiling's question.

"But there's too many of us to go around. Let's try three." Yuuka objects.

_I'm getting that feeling again. The one where I just break the rules and then have no idea whether the consequences are good or bad. _"Sure, why not? Also, you can't keep passing to your teammates..." I imagine the basic pattern of receive, set up, and spike. "Three times on one side at most."

After that, it's just a matter of some practice at serving, passing and spiking, before we attempt a practice match. Flan has abandoned her castle-building to watch, and even Patchouli has put away her book to observe. It's me, Meiling and Mokou versus Yuuka, Sakuya and Kaguya.

"Alright, here I go!" I toss the ball up and serve it over the net.

At the end of her side, Yuuka catches it on her arms, bouncing the ball up into the air, where Sakuya leaps... and hits it into the net.

"One point for Ikuto's team." Koakuma announces softly.

"Wait, whose turn is it to serve?" Meiling asks.

"Uhhh..." I think quickly. "I guess it's us again? Switch after how many consecutive points, though?"

"I would say three." Kaguya points out, and all of us agree.

We settle back into position, and I serve again. This time, Sakuya receives, but neither of her teammates try to jump after the rebound. Instead, Yuuka bounces it higher after it comes down, just as the maid jumps again.

"Meiling, your side!" I snap out.

My teammate crouches slightly, focusing on her opponent. The moment Sakuya's hand comes in contact with the ball, she moves slightly forward, and receives the shot squarely.

"Mokou, counting on you!" I jump and knock the ball higher.

"Gotcha!" She leaps up, matching up with the ball's falling trajectory...

And misses.

"One point for Sakuya's team." Koakuma intones.

"Who is the one who can't hit a ball?" Kaguya calls, retaliating for the insult she received during the Frisbee game.

Yuuka takes the serve, and from the way it whistles as it flies overhead, I'm lucky I'm not blocking. Meiling takes it again, and the ball goes high... if I don't take this, they'll get it back.

"UOO-!" I roar, crouching low to build power.

"-OOOO-" And I LEAP! My war cry is still going strong in my throat.

"-OHHH-" Up in the air, I can see Sakuya, Kaguya and Yuuka all tense, each clearly wondering whose zone I'm going to aim for. My arm draws back, my body twists...

"-HMPH!" Then I bop it straight down over the net, hitting their area of the court before anyone realizes anything.

"Another point for Ikuto's team. That's two to one."

A glance to the side shows Remilia is smiling, while Suika is laughing again. Even Eirin is smirking.

Of course, as the game progresses, things like jumping blocks, diving receives and hand signals start coming into play, with rotation of roles so each of us can familiarize ourselves with them. Yuuka is a super hard hitter, despite toning down her power so she doesn't break the ball, and the most I dare to receive from her is a serve. Kaguya isn't fast or strong, but she's somehow good at reading my team's setup, and thus knows where to aim to cause the most trouble. Sakuya is light and fast, and her shots sting... and then there's that incident where she tried to spike while I jumped to block her; my eyes locked onto her chest, she noticed, and fumbled the ball trying to cover her assets.

Didn't work with Yuuka. She aimed for me instead, forcing me to dodge.

Meiling is a perfect all-rounder, and while Mokou isn't good at spiking, she can hold her own at defending and setting up. All in all, we have a fun time playing a number of sets, and when Shi and his pair of girls come by, we actually have a inter-series battle, with me, Sakuya and Meiling against the other group. Unfortunately, Dignity gets pissed over the fact that she's the weakest among us physically and blows up the ball with a magic bullet shot from her finger, putting an end to our fun. Shi and Sword apologize instantly, and drag their contrary friend away before Remilia or Flan gets riled up into action.

"Man... I'm totally tired..." I groan, letting myself float in the sea, looking up at the coloring sky as the sun begins to set.

"We did play a lot." Meiling agrees, splashing over to me.

I reach out and take her hand. "I'm very grateful that you were on my team." I tell her solemnly.

She smiles down on me. "You're not too bad yourself, Ikuto. That was really fun."

I briefly recall the attempts of Yuuka to harass me in between matches. "With a few exceptions." I mutter under my breath.

"Come on, we got the grill started already. You're going to miss the food." Meiling pulls me up and out of the water.

I stumble a little trying to get on my feet, and accidentally fall into an embrace with her. "Uh..." My mouth speaks, as I look into her blue-colored eyes, our noses almost touching.

Meiling looks surprised for a moment, but suddenly smiles and squeezes back, pressing her ample chest against mine for a second before pulling away, making sure I can stand on my own. "Come on." She repeats.

_Yep, this is a good day. _I join the rest in eating barbequed meat and vegetables, chatting with the others, including the food-bearing Yukari, feeding Flan, and teasing Remilia a little for lying around doing pretty much nothing the whole day.

"Ikuto, shut up." The Scarlet Devil orders grumpily.

"Yes, Lady Remilia."

"And stop smirking."

"Why me?" I cast my eyes around, showing that nearly everyone has the same expression as I do.

Later, Suika clears the sand off us so Sakuya doesn't get mad, and we all head back in to wash up. It feels really good to wash off all that accumulated sweat. It's only early in the night, and the amount of physical activity I went through wasn't enough to drain me fully, but I'm already dozing on my feet when we gather again at the common room, enough so that I can hardly focus on playing with Kaguya and Mokou.

I still win though.

"Ikuto, you should get to bed." Sakuya says critically, "You're practically asleep."

I fight back yet another yawn. "Yeah... I guess I will."

As I'm heading up with her accompanying me in case I fall asleep prematurely, I notice Flan's final sand castle still outside. "She didn't demolish that?"

"Flan-ojousama said she had enough of destroying her own creations."

_I guess that's another step of improvement. _We reach my room, and Sakuya bids me good night. _Ah, nice, comfortable, bed..._

I don't know how long I slept, but I'm awakened in the night by a weight over me.

"I believe you promised some revenge." Eirin's voice purrs.

_I think I can stay awake a little longer._

* * *

><p>(1) Let's play guess the series again! The other series that appears in this chapter is so damned easy to guess, but this one isn't. Here's a hint: It's a game, and the previous game in its series has been translated even though it hasn't.<p>

(2) 'I have a bad feeling about this'. It's a phrase from Star Wars Episode 1.

(3) Deidara from Naruto. Art is a bang!

(4) Neo's bullet dodging scene is quite famous by now... I think.

(5) From Calvin and Hobbes. Calvinball... just make the rules up as you go!

If there's one thing you rarely see in a Touhou story, it's a beach experience. That's because Gensokyo is in a mountain area, and the only people I can think of who have seen the sea are Byakuren, Murasa, Mamizou, Sanae, and of course, Yukari. (There may be more, but those are the ones that seem the most obvious) Too bad it's only for one day, and with a small cast.

Sand castle building, Frisbee, beach volleyball (with half-assed rules)... all random ideas I came up with. Then there's the sunscreen applying... Ikuto got to touch Yuuka's body! Of course, it came at the cost of damage to his sanity... then there's the Kaguya versus Mokou scene. Another benefit of not actively killing each other!

And since Yukari was playing with reality for this to happen, it's natural to run into people from other realities, right? Another random idea of mine. But I still kept it mainly Touhou-related.

Character development came through randomness as well, and I think I did it quite well. And I finally chose to make Sakuya's chest natural! She was telling the truth about not wearing any pads. And in addition to that, Ikuto saw her in her underwear. Negative effect on their relationship, or will it become positive? Also, I thought Meiling's one was good. Flan's one... Ikuto has been possessed by the spirit of Pedobear! XD Still having trouble with Patchouli's relationship development though...

And he's still maintaining his relationship with the others. Yuuka and Eirin can get along over their mutual hobby of tormenting Ikuto...

Sometimes I wonder if I'm pushing the bounds of what's realistic... then Sanae comes to remind me that common sense doesn't apply.

Last chapter came on Christmas Eve, and this chapter comes on New Year's Eve. Nice.

Happy New Year, guys!


	46. Chapter 45: Singing & Swinging

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs in this. They are amazing songs, and belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

><p>Eirin had struck at me again, and this time, she made use of Yukari to do so. Just slightly over a week ago, Yukari started sourcing around for a place to hold a summer festival party, among Touhou girls. My sneaky pharmacist volunteered the use of Eientei, with the condition that I would have to sing some songs alongside the Prismriver sisters, whom Yukari had requested to perform.<p>

When I found out about it, I was... pretty impressed. Eirin managed to slip her plan into Yukari's, something that the latter must have allowed to happen because of one benefit.

Me. Making a fool of myself.

I don't sing very well. Certainly I've sung my share of songs in karaoke before I came to Gensokyo, but most of my favorite songs are sung by female singers with pitches I can't hope to duplicate. And then there are some songs that aren't even on the karaoke machine due to their originating from visual novels.

But Yukari offered me a HUGE boon. She gave me my Ipod back and told me to pick some songs to sing at the party, saying she would arrange things so that the Prismrivers would be playing the accompanying music.

Then she went one further and brought me to a karaoke place while I was on an errand for her (1) so I could practice a little. I had a lot of fun testing out various songs on my playlist, and eventually settled on three songs.

And today is the day of the party. Quite a lot of people have been invited; it's easier to say who hasn't come then to say who has. I don't see Tenshi or Iku (Yukari probably didn't want to invite the former), Nue, Hina, the Minoriko sisters, the new bunch of people under Myouren Temple, the underground people with the exception of Yuugi, and Mima.

In a small clearing where the party is taking place, the youkai rabbits have constructed a small stage for the Prismriver sisters, and dozens of bamboo mats are laid out over the place for people to sit. I move around the place exchanging greetings with those I know, and meet a few new people.

"Ikuto... why haven't you been coming anymore?" Reimu complains as I watch past.

"Missed me that much? Or my donations?" I throw back with a grin, making Marisa and Alice laugh.

Reimu looks a little guilty, and tries to conceal it by taking a drink.

A weight suddenly falls on my shoulders. "I~ku~to~ long time no see~" A teasing voice I haven't heard in a long while speaks into my ear.

"Yuyuko!"

"Mmfu~" She rubs her cheek against mine.

"Yuyuko-samaaa..."

I turn around and look at the speaker. "Youmu. You look... different?"

"Eh?" The gardener looks surprised.

I pat her hair. "Stronger." _I guess all that training and fighting has increased my ability to estimate another's strength._

"Really?" I nod in response to Youmu's question.

"What about me~?"

"You're just the same as usual, Yuyuko."

"Buu~" The ghost princess detaches herself from me. "I'm going to get a drink. Come along, Youmu."

I manage to give Youmu a quick hug before she leaves.

"Marisa, there's something I'd like you to do for me. Don't worry, it's very easy..."

The next bunch I meet are the youkai of Youkai Mountain. Aya greets me cheerily when I draw near, and Nitori smiles, a bit nervously, but welcoming. But the other two...

"Good evening. I'm Ikuto." I introduce myself.

"Hatate Himekaidou." The twintailed brunette with a purple colored version of Aya's hat and checkered skirt. "Kakashi Spirit News."

"Momiji Inubashira." The white wolf tengu speaks as though she's biting her words.

Momiji is wearing a white long-sleeved top with a large red-black skirt, and wears that small red hat. Her short but thick white hair has wolf ears sticking out, and it's kind of interesting to watch them twitch around.

"Ahh~ don't mind these guys. Momiji-chan is such a stick in the mud," Aya puts an arm around the wolf tengu, "Have some fun with the rest of us at least, yeah?"

Momiji removes the arm huffily. "I have a stable _job_, you know. Not like you."

_They don't get along well, I see. _I look at Hatate, who's fiddling with a cellphone. "Um, excuse me, Himekaidou-san, could I see that? How does it work?"

"My camera? Oh, this camera..."

It looks like a fold-out cellphone, but the camera function dominates most of it, with hardly no actual phone functions. The number pad is simply to alter stuff like zoom and resolution, or organize the pictures taken, or used with her ability. She enters keywords in, and a picture appears, which she then uses for her articles. I've read some of her articles before, but they really weren't interesting, and they were usually late compared to other tengus' newspapers.

"Nitori, why so quiet?" I ask suddenly.

"Eh? Ah, uhm!" The kappa looks down flusteredly. "I..."

"Ah, never mind. I can understand." I crouch down to look her in the eyes. "So... did you provide the equipment for this occasion?"

"Um... yes..."

"I'm sure everyone will be impressed as usual. The stuff you create are always amazing." I compliment her.

The kappa blushes. "...thank you."

_Nitori really does look cute when she smiles. Although Momiji could do without that frown. I wonder if it's frozen on her face... courtesy of Aya._

"Aya, I got something I'd like to talk to you about..."

The next group I join is the one I'm currently living with, and easily locatable due to the wide berth everyone else gives them, thanks to the blonde loli with the group... who's currently streaking towards me. One tight and slightly painful hug later, I'm bringing Flan back into the fold, where Meiling can resume the role of watching her.

"Flan, don't run off like that." Remilia admonishes.

Her younger sister immediately raises a protest. "But Onee-sama, it's Onii-chan, you know!"

"Still, you mustn't run around like that. It's dangerous."

"Okayyy..."

Remilia turns to me, her face stern. "Ikuto."

"I know." I sigh. "I'll take responsibility if anything happens."

Everyone of note in the mansion except Koakuma is here. Patchouli was dragged along by Remilia, though she also wanted to hear me 'make a fool of myself'. Sakuya obviously follows wherever her mistress goes, and with me asking for Flan to be brought along, Meiling definitely had to come, since Meiling had the same calming effect on Flan that I did. And Koakuma was left to guard the mansion.

Actually, all of them want to see me sing as well. _Man... it's giving me pressure. I don't mind singing in front of Meiling or Flan, but Sakuya or Remilia is..._

I make my excuses and move on. The next group has someone new as well, and one I'm not too eager to meet.

"So you're Ikuto. We finally meet."

"Good evening to you, Yasaka-sama." I return the greeting respectfully.

Kanako Yasaka is sitting cross-legged, one hand holding up a sake dish. On her head of short blue hair and floating behind her back are rope circles, the latter adding QUITE a bit to her height. A round mirror rests on her red-clad chest, moving slightly with her breathing, and a slight shift of her legs draws my attention to her dark skirt. Overall, her impression is rather striking; there's the feeling of divinity...

One that the loli goddess next to her doesn't have. Suwako is already joking with Suika and Yuugi, all three of whom are extremely red before the party has really started, and are still drinking more.

Kanako notices where I'm looking and sighs. "Sometimes I'm envious of her being so carefree." She confides to me.

"But Kanako-sama, if you acted like her, we would never get any faith!" Sanae interrupts.

I snigger. "How true." Seeing the goddess turn an intense glare at me, I add, "Did she tell you about what she did when she first met me?"

"No. What did Suwako do?" The goddess asks suspiciously.

I told her. It's interesting to see Kanako's expression crack when I mentioned the fact that Suwako blamed her for the piece of information saying that the nether hole was a source of pleasure.

Before Kanako can say anything in her defense, a strong arm wraps around my neck and pulls me down. "Heya, long time no see!" Yuugi's voice vibrates through my body, especially with my face pressed against the side of her chest.

_Big... _I notice Sanae is looking at me with a scandalized expression. "Yeah, long time no see, Yuugi."

"I was wondering when you were gonna come down next! Ended up having to come up just to see you!" Yuugi laughs loudly, clearly drunk.

I give Suika a questioning look, and the little oni nods, grinning mischievously. _So she called her friend up here, huh?_

Honestly, I'm kind of glad to interact with Yuugi. Onis as a race are fiercely honest, with Suika being somewhat of an exception, and after staying at the mansion, Yuugi presents a refreshing change. Apart from challenging me to drinking and fighting, both of which I can't handle without my Keyblade.

Then there's Kanako. From what I know of her, she's quite the opportunist, having attempted to take Gensokyo's faith when she first entered. In the end, she settled for faith provided by the youkais of the mountain, but I know she has been trying to increase her faith somehow. So yeah, I don't really trust her either, not when Suwako is her companion.

"You're really merry, huh?" I tease Yuugi, rubbing my neck.

The oni roars with laughter. "Of course I am. It's a party! Here, drink up!"

I refuse the dish. "Not right now, I still have stuff to do."

"What could be more important than having fun right now?"

"Having fun after doing what needs to be done." I counter, before attempting to break free of this trap by turning to Sanae. "Kochiya-san, any thoughts on this?"

"I heard you were going to sing something at this party."

This time, it's my expression that cracks as the rest of the group looks at me. _How the heck does she know that? _"How do you know that?"

"I made a few song requests myself." The green-haired miko smiles beatifically. "To be able to sing those songs..."

"I know what you mean!" I say suddenly.

"You do?"

"Yeah, there's no karaoke machine here!" I wisely omit the fact that I HAVE been going for karaoke quite often recently to practice. "No mecha anime songs to sing!"

"Yes!" Sanae gushes, "There's just... it's... I..." She falls silent, apparently overcome with emotion, weeping quietly with joy.

I look around to see everyone else staring at her. Even I'm astounded by the intensity of her reaction. Certainly, considering her background, she must have been only lightly exposed to the wonders of modern technology. But even that is cut off when one steps into Gensokyo, so I wonder... just how much of a mecha fan is she?

"How did you know that our Sanae likes giant robots?" Kanako finally asks.

"I listen to what other people say." I reply quietly. _It really is a useful skill. _"Suika, there's something I want to talk to you about..."

* * *

><p>"It was nice talking to you again, Mamizou-san."<p>

"Same here! It's good to see you again." The raccoon youkai replies cheerfully.

"Ikuto, the next time you are free, would you like to join us for a meal?" Byakuren invites as I stand up.

"Of course, I'd be honored to accept."

The priestess chuckles. "You don't have to act so respectful about it."

My facade seen through, I let myself grin. "I'd be happy to come over and eat with you all." I speak more casually this time, with more positive emotion in my words.

If there's anyone I believe capable of joining youkais and humans in peace, it would be Byakuren. Part of me dismisses that possibility due to inherent human stupidity and fear, but that doesn't mean I can't hope. That woman is just so saintly and charismatic, it's hard not to like her, and her followers are relatively friendly and easy to get along with, Byakuren-worship aside.

Nue is still an exception.

I head towards the stage, looking at the crowd around me. Apart from the girls I know, the rest of the people attending include a few fairies, some other youkais, but mostly the youkai rabbits of the Bamboo Forest. Yukari somehow appeared while I wasn't watching and is with Reimu's group, but Ran isn't around, probably because of Mamizou.

_Wait, come to think of it, where's Yuuka? _I look around for the sadistic... no, she's just a flower youkai with sadistic harassment tendencies, not a real sadist. _She should be- _

"Looking for me?" The dreaded voice inquires from behind me.

"If I were to run away screaming right now, what sort of answer would that imply?" I quip without turning around.

"I'm so touched that you think that way of me. Why not try looking at my face before you do anything?" She tells me amusedly.

I turn around, look at Yuuka's humorous (by her standards) grin. "Aaah, I'm gonna be eaten." I say in a deadpan tone of voice.

"How rude. I most certainly do not eat humans."

I just let my mouth run, and it works the moment she stops speaking. "Your plants, on the other hand..."

The flower youkai chuckles. "Such an understanding lad you are."

"All the better to be harassed." I quip.

Another chuckle. "You never fail to interest me."

Personally, I thought that maybe Yukari might have been meddling, but considering how Yuuka might react if I revealed that possibility, combined with the fact that Yukari has been helping me out recently, I choose to keep it to myself.

"Anyway, I'd best get going. I need to talk to a few more people."

"Oh, surely you can spare a bit more time for this flower youkai?" Yuuka asks archly.

"Maybe after." I reply bluntly, and turn my back on her.

...!

She poked me in the butt with her parasol. _It's getting a little annoying dealing with her. Good thing I don't see her every day._

Luckily, she doesn't follow after I ignore her and head towards Eientei, towards the largest concentration of youkai rabbits, which is where the Eientei group is. It's nice to be greeted with friendly smiles, though Eirin's looks like it's at my expense. I hug her around the shoulders, squeezing harder than I normally would, before chatting with the rest. Mokou doesn't frown, but raises an eyebrow, while Keine just greets me in her usual friendly way.

_There's that feeling again... it's not like the danger sense, but... _I decide to

Kaguya looks at me warmly. "I am looking forward to the songs you intend to sing, Ikuto."

"Oh, you will DEFINITELY enjoy it." I let a grin escape my emotional control.

Eirin gives me a suspicious look, but I doubt she knows what I'm up to.

"You're not going to do something embarrassing, are you?" Reisen demands.

"No, no, no..." I make sure to meet Reisen's eyes squarely. "I'm not _intending_ to embarrass myself." I say, emphasizing a decoy word. "Anyway, I better speak to the Prismriver sisters."

I start to walk off, then act as though I just remembered something and turn back.

"Tewi, can you walk with me for a bit?"

"Hm? Sure thing -usa."

I tell her what I want her to do, without letting anything special out. Though the well-aged rabbit youkai finds it weird, she decides to accept my request, and pass it on to the other youkai rabbits.

I've met the Prismriver sisters before, way back when I was still staying at Hakugyokuoru. Yuyuko would organize a concert for the spirits there sometimes, and they would come over to play. My relationship with them is pretty much friendly acquaintances, usually talking about the same things like what sort of music they're going to play and related stuff. However, I haven't seen them ever since I left, since I have no idea where Poltergeist Mansion is, and I was definitely too distracted.

The eldest sister Lunasa dresses in black, and plays the violin or other string instruments, though she comes across as hard to approach due to her somewhat pessimistic personality. If only her phantom music didn't sound so depressing... but she plays an impressive Flowering Night (2), even if it nearly drove me to tears (not because of how good it was).

The second sister Merlin wears white, and plays wind instruments, most common of which is the trumpet. Due to her distinctive appearance, she takes the front of the sisters' performances. Compared to Lunasa, she's easier to approach due to her ever-cheerful character, but occasionally says some weird stuff. Similar to her elder sister, her music influences the spirit, and I much prefer listening to her play. Akyuu's scroll said it was dangerous to listen to her too much, but I find it's good motivation to keep training when she practices near the lake. Everybody's kung fu fighting~ (3)

Lastly, the youngest sister Lyrica. Her clothes are red in color, with the same frilly style as her sisters. Of the three, she's the easiest to interact with due to her character being the most human-like, if a little sneaky. We have a sort of arrangement where we'd prank each other in turns, though it's rarely practiced. While she plays an electronic phantom keyboard (which is a really unbelievable and weird existence), she's also capable of playing percussion, the combination of which allows for some really amazing performances. However, unlike her sisters, Lyrica's music doesn't have any spiritual effects.

But if not for their ability to play without touching their instruments, I doubt they could put up some of their best performances. Not that they aren't good...

Still, what would a band be without their singer? I've met Mystia a few times, and while she's not the friendliest of youkais, she tolerates me enough to let me eat at her stand when I'm accompanied by someone she knows. The fact that I'm a friend of Cirno is a point in my favor, but I'm digressing. Her singing is extremely good, and would probably be perfect to pull off some of my favorite songs.

They've been performing on and off, but those were more of small songs meant to ease the mood rather than an actual performance. No, Eirin had deliberately scheduled things with them such that _**I**_ would be the one to open the actual show.

"Hello, everyone." I greet the group as they're taking a short break. "Great playing as usual."

"We could do better." Pessimistic as ever, Lunasa's words comes out in a mutter.

"Are we going to finally start for real?" The hyper sister asks me.

I share a look with Lyrica and Mystia. "Yeah, it's time for me to meet my doom." I reply dramatically, making them chuckle.

"Here," Mystia holds out the mike she was using during her songs, "Go and sing."

That was the closest thing I would get to 'good luck', coming from her.

I walk up onto the stage, followed by the three poltergeists. Clearing my throat to get the audience attention, I take a moment to look around at various expectant eyes. _You can do this, after all, your inhibitions have been lowered from looking Reisen in the eyes._

I breathe in deeply, and bring the mike up again. "Hello everybody. Some of you might know me, some might not. My name is Ikuto, and I'm an outsider who has been here for the last nine months." I take another look around. "Anyway, before I begin to sing, I would like to point out that I'm doing so because of one of our hosts from Eientei."

Nearby, I see Eirin smirk at me, before she turns to Tewi.

"Now, for my first song, I'd like some cooperation from you all!" I declare, raising the tension. "It's very simple!"

I raise my left hand up in a fist. "All you have to do, is to raise and lower your arms on my signal. Like this." I demonstrate, and see some of them imitate me.

"The signal is very simple." I grin widely in Eirin's direction. "When I say 'Ei', you raise your arm." I bring my arm up again. "When I say 'Rin', you lower it." I let my arm drop.

Even from this distance, I can see Eirin's expression starting to stiffen. Some of the other girls are already laughing, like Marisa, Aya, Mamizou and Suika.

"Let's practice it together! Eirin! Eirin!" I swing my arm in time to the beat. "Feel free to yell along! Eirin! Eirin!"

"**Eirin! Eirin!**" The response is soft.

"Come on, you can do better than that! Eirin! Eirin!"

"**Eirin! Eirin!**" This time it's louder than before, and I judge it enough for a prelude.

I turn and nod to the Prismriver sisters, and Lyrica starts manipulating the drums to create the beat while her sisters add their own music to the mix. I wait for a while to let it soak in.

"Alright, everyone, make sure to yell along with me!" I take a small breath to replenish the air I'm going to need. "A OOOONE!"

"**OOONE!**" The sound I get is less compared to before, but it's still encouraging.

"A TWOOO!" I hold up two fingers now.

Apparently more have caught the rhythm, as more people call back, "**TWOOO!**"

"A one! A two! A one, two! One two three!" I make the appropriate hand motions, then unleash the beat with Merlin's flourish. "EIRIN! EIRIN!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**" This time, the return is quite explosive.

I switch over to the other hand and face the left, away from where Eirin herself is. "EIRIN! EIRIN!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**"

Next I look to the right, facing the song's subject. "EIRIN! EIRIN!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**" The response keeps increasing, as the amused youkai rabbits take up the cry eagerly, around a frozen pharmacist.

Merlin's playing increases in sound and power, drawing everyone into the rising tension. "EIRIN! EIRIN!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**"

I switch the mike back to my right. "EIRIN! EIRIN!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**"

I inhale deeply and yell into the mike, "LOUDERRRRR!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**" The crowd roars back, raising their arms in the chorus.

_Looks like this will do. _"Eirin, EIRIN! **EIRIN! EIRIN! EIRIN! EIRIN!**" My amplified voice joins with the crowd as I continue the chain rather than saying Eirin's name twice, before taking a slight pause while the music reaches its climax, upon which I yell with those who know what to say. "**TASUKETE! (****HELP!****)**"

"_A~ah, what will I do! I raise my arm on high!_" I swing my arm with the last part, watching the crowd imitate me.  
>"<span>A~ah, dou shiyou! Takaku furi ageta kono ude!<span>"

"_You are my moon, my inverted moon~!_" I beckon, signaling my helpers.  
>"<span>Watashi no otsuki-sama, sakasama no otsuki-sama~!<span>"

"**TASUKETE EIRIN! (****HELP ME EIRIN!****)**" Aya, Suika, Yukari, Tewi, and a large bunch of youkai rabbits yell at me.

"_Geez, hurry up, this furiously waving arm is-!_"  
>"<span>Mou, hayaku shite, tsuyoku furi oroshita ude wa-!<span>" I shout the last few syllables, raising my arm again.

"_A sign to you, Eirin! My sign to you!_" I point directly at Eirin, whose mouth wide open. _Take that!_  
>"<span>Anata wo yobu SIGN, Eirin! Anata e no SIGN!<span>"

The drums hit out a short beat, and the mood immediately drops down to a more relaxed pace.

_"You can hear them shouting 'Eirin, Eirin, help me!' again today~_" I sway my body to the lyrics.  
>"<span>'Eirin, Eirin, tasukete!', kyou mo kikoete kuru~<span>"

"_Let's go see who can I save with my sincere, whole-hearted devotion~_" I point at a random direction and prance towards it.  
>"<span>Seishin-sei'i magokoro komete tasuke ni ikou~<span>"

"_The rabbits of Eientei are always so innocent-!_" Putting my free hand behind my leg, I hop around a little.  
>"<span>Eientei no usagi tachi wa itsumo mujaki-!<span>" I raise my voice at the last part, looking around at the grinning youkai rabbits.

"_Oh look, somebody's calling me again!_" I hold my free hand to my ear as though listening to someone call for me.  
>"<span>Hora ma~ta dare~ka ni~ yobareteru yo!<span>" I raise my voice at the end, and shriek the next line.

"HEY COME ON!"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN! TASUKETE EIRIN!**" The youkai rabbits lead the cry, having been coached by Tewi.

"_Eirin, Eirin, help us Ei~rin~_" I sing back at a lower pitch, then make the listening posture again.  
>"<span>Eirin, Eirin, tasukete Ei~rin~<span>"

"**EIRIN! EIRIN! TASUKETE EIRIN!**" They get the hint and shout louder, following the rising mood.

"_Well, let's go~_" However, I cut it back down again, smirking inwardly at the looks of confusion some wear.  
>"<span>Saa, ikou~<span>"

"_I'll try shouting it again today, 'Eirin, Eirin, help me!'~_" I hop off the stage, singing as I go and swinging my arm as usual.  
>"<span>'Eirin, Eirin, tasukete!', kyou mo sakende miru~<span>"

"_This is the power of the immortal Hourai Elixir~_" I grab Kaguya's hand and pull her away from the group, from where Eirin has her face buried in her hand.  
>"<span>Furou~fushi Houra~i no okusuri no chikara~<span>"

I'm counting on the music to disguise the fact that I'm mentioning that part, by pulling everyone's attention into the rhythm instead. That, and my actions with Kaguya.

"_Reisen and Tewi haven't come back yet~!_" I put my hand behind my head to simulate the rabbit ears, waving it around.  
>"<span>Reisen, Tewi no futari wa mada kaette konai~!<span>" My voice rises as the music increases the tension again.

"_Oh no, somebody's here, they're gonna GET ME-!_" I hear chuckling among the crowd as I bring my hand to my mouth, Kaguya imitating me.  
>"<span>Dareka ga kita, mou dame da, yarareCHAU YO-!<span>" I squeal the last part, then hold the mike in front of Kaguya's mouth.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN! TASUKETE EIRIN!**" The princess happily leads the cry for her attendant, swinging her arm in sync with mine.

"_Eirin, Eirin, help me EIRIN!_" I bring the mike back over to my mouth.  
>"<span>Eirin, Eirin, tasukete EIRIN!<span>" This time, I emphasize the name at the last part.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN! TASUKETE EIRIN!**" Infected by the mood, the crowd sings louder as well.

"_Hurry up and COME~!_"  
>"<span>Hayaku kiTE~!<span>" My pitch rises, signifying the actual chorus.

"_So, let's go help! This furiously waving arm-!_" I point at Kaguya, who waves her sleeved limb cooperatively.  
>"<span>Saa, tasukemashou! Takaku furi agaru kono ude-!<span>" My voice sings quickly, following the faster music.

"_You are my princess, my willful princess~!_" Kneeling down before Kaguya, I pretend to be a hassled attendant.  
>"<span>Anata wa ohime-sama, wagamama na ohime-sama~!<span>" Once again, the end of that line comes out louder.

"**TASUKETE EIRIN!**" This time, they all know how to follow, and I jump up with their cry.

"_Come on, hurry up! This quickly waving arm is-!_" I sway again with my singing, and follow Kaguya's waving.  
>"<span>Ho~ra, isoganakya! Tsuyoku furi oroshita ude wa-!<span>"

"_A sign to you, Eirin! My sign to you!_" I point at Eirin again, who still hasn't pulled her hand away from her face.  
>"<span>Anata wo yobu SIGN, Eirin! Anata e no SIGN!<span>"

The music immediately drops down again, and I gently push Kaguya in a silent signal for her to return to the other Eientei members. Lyrica is playing her keyboard with Lunasa's violin producing a sound no violin should be able to, to remind everyone that the song isn't over yet, and I walk back to the stage and get back on top. Looking around, I see everyone is smiling, and waiting to see what I have to show next.

"Alright, everyone, follow after me, okay~" I raise my free arm up, and watch as everyone does the same. "Make sure to shout after me, okay~"

"Eirin! Eirin!" I bring my arm down and start waving it in time to the lyrics again.

"**Eirin! Eirin!**" The response is diminished, but not the spirit.

"Eirin! Eirin!" I face the left side.

"**Eirin! Eirin!**" They call back.

"EIRIN! EIRIN!" I call out to the right side.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**" The right side matches my volume, with competitive looks at the other side.

"TASUKETE EIRIN~!" I punch up into the air.

"**TASUKETE EIRIN~!**"

"EIRIN! EIRIN!" Switching hands again, I face straight forward.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**" Only a few of the older inhabitants aren't moving their arms, the rest are joining in.

"RIN-EI! RIN-EI!" I reverse the syllables of Eirin's name.

"**RIN-EI! RIN-EI!**" The audience follows it without any hitch.

"EIRIN! EIRIN!" I move over to one side of the stage.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**"

"EIRINEIRINEI-RIN!" My arm moves furiously as I skip over to the other end.

"**EIRINEIRINEI-RIN!**"

"Ei~RIN!" I hold my arm up for a while longer than usual before bringing it down.

"**Ei~RIN!**"

"EIRINRIN!"

"**EIRINRIN!**"

"Ei~RIN!" I repeat the same process.

"**Ei~RIN!**"

"RINRINRIN!" I swing my fist around with each shout of 'RIN', putting a lot of energy into this line.

"**RINRINRIN!**"

The music changes, with Lyrica providing the electronic sound required. I bring my hand up behind my head like before, when I sang Reisen and Tewi's name.

"Inaba! Inaba!" My upper body shakes from side to side as my fingers in an imitation of the floppy rabbit ears.

"**INABA! INABA!**" The youkai rabbits adapt my movements into a hopping motion.

"Inaba! Tewi!"

"**INABA! TEWI!**" I see Tewi grin widely at me.

"Inaba! Inaba!" I repeat, smirking at Reisen.

"**INABA! INABA!**"

"Inaba! UDONGE-!"

"**INABA! UDONGE-!**" Reisen imitates Eirin's facepalm position as everyone around her roars the name Eirin uses for her.

"NEET! NEET!" (4) I look around in general, not focusing on anybody in particular as I waggle my index finger like an accusing parent.

"**NEET! NEET!**" Despite their ignorance of the term, the audience happily parrots it back at me.

"HATARAKE NEET! (WORK, YOU NEET!)"

"**HATARAKE NEET!**"

"Sakuya! Sakuya!" I glance at the maid, who is wearing a disbelieving smile.

"**SAKUYA! SAKUYA!**" Nearly all those who know the maid are looking in her direction, and she blushes a little.

"SAKUYA-SAAAAN! 'Pad Chief!'" I yell, along with a tengu saying something else.

"**SAKUYA-SAAAAN! **'Who said Pad Chief!'" Sakuya bolts to her feet, looking about furiously as everyone calls her name.

_Oh god, here it comes... _I close my eyes as the music dips a little. _THIS is the part that will test how immersed everyone is. _I open them again, with a 'heck care' emotion in my heart.

"OPPAI, OPPAI! (BREASTS, BREASTS!)" My arm swings up and down again in a distraction from the meaning of what I'm singing.

"OPPAI, OPPAI..." Part of the audience stops as they realize what word is crossing their lips, trailing off with shock in their eyes.

"OPPAI, OPPAI." I repeat.

"**OPPAI, OPPAI.**" The crowd echoes, louder this time, apparently just following along to see where I'd go.

"OOKII OPPAI! (BIG BREASTS!)" I say into the mike jokingly.

"**OOKII OPPAI!**" Grins all over the place interspersed with chuckling as more of the audience fall back into following my lead.

"OPPAI EIRIN!"

"**OPPAI EIRIN!**" Mokou bursts out laughing, clutching her sides, as next to her, Keine follows Eirin and Reisen into facepalming.

"Eirin! Eirin!" _The end is coming... _I start out slow.

"**Eirin! Eirin!**" Cooperative as ever, everyone matches my level.

"EIRIN! EIRIN!" My voice rises, along with my heart rate.

"**EIRIN! EIRIN!**"

"EIRIN! EIRIN! **EIRIN! EIRIN! EIRIN! EIRIN!...**" The band's playing reaches a crescendo, and everyone falls silent... "**TASUKETEEEE!**"

"_A~ah, what will I do! I raise my arm on high!_" I launch into the second last chorus of the song, but still swinging my arm.  
>"<span>A~ah, dou shiyou! Takaku furi ageta kono ude!<span>"

"_You are the moon, the inverted moon~!_" My hand points at where Kaguya is.  
>"<span>Anata wa otsuki-sama, sakasama no otsuki-sama~!<span>"

"**TASUKETE EIRIN!**" She yells back along with one fist raised like everyone else, glancing at the mortified pharmacist next to her.

"_Come on, hurry up, this furiously waving arm is-!_" I turn to the other side.  
>"<span>Ho~ra, isoganakya, tsuyoku furi oroshita ude wa-!<span>" Unlike last time, I don't shout so as to conserve a bit of energy.

"_A sign to you, Eirin! My sign to you!_" My hand extends out and rises up, matching my pitch.  
>"<span>Anata wo yobu SIGN, Eirin! Anata e no SIGN!<span>"

"**MOU IKKAI! (****ONE MORE TIME!****)**" The coached youkai rabbits chorus.

"_So, let's go help! This furiously waving arm-!_" I pump my fist, dancing on the balls of my feet.  
>"<span>Saa, tasukemashou! Takaku furi agaru kono ude-!<span>" My voice fills with cheer on this last chorus.

"_You are my princess, my willful princess~!_" At the end of this line, I spread both arms out.  
>"<span>Anata wa ohime-sama, wagamama na ohime-sama~!<span>"

"**TASUKETE EIRIN!**" The audience ROARS, as though sensing the end.

"_Come on, hurry up! This quickly waving arm is-!_" My fist punches with more vigor than all my previous ones had.  
>"<span>Ho~ra, isoganakya! Tsuyoku furi oroshita UDE WA-!<span>" I yell, putting on another burst of energy into my voice.

"_A sign to you~ Eirin, help me Ei~ri~n~..._" I close my eyes with the very last line.  
>"<span>Anata wo yobu SIGN~ Eirin, tasukete Ei~ri~n~...<span>" As I draw out the last part, the music drops off almost suddenly.

"YEAAAAAHHHH-!" I squall out, before cutting out along with the band. "Whew..." I make sure to pull the mike away as I exhale, before bringing it back to say, "Thank you."

The audience bursts into applause and laughter as I step off the stage, grinning widely. I reverse the mike in my hand, and pass it back to a smiling Mystia, and head for the person the song was dedicated to.

_Time to face the music. _I grin at how appropriate the term sounds in my mind. "Did you like that song?" I inquire as I draw close to Eirin, who is standing up to meet me.

"I shall never ask you to sing again." She solemnly replies, and kisses me deeply, an act marred by the fact that she's pinching my ear VERY painfully.

* * *

><p>After that, the actual performance starts. I don't recognize most of the songs Mystia sings, but every single one of them sounds amazing, with some I'd consider a shoo-in for my Ipod's top playlist... if Yukari hadn't taken it back just yesterday. Although my attention is mainly focused on appreciating the band, I take the time to go around mingling with the others, exchanging quick snatches of conversation under the cheers of the audience.<p>

I hear something familiar as I'm sitting with the Moriya group, and it makes me whirl around and stare at Sanae.

'Gundam Seed?' I mouth at her when she finally notices me looking at her.

Sanae nods, smiling happily. The green-haired miko then closes her eyes to focus more on the music, clearly enjoying its melody.

_Well, it's nice and all, but considering the time difference between our separate arrivals, she has missed a lot of other mecha anime songs. _I thought of stuff like Macross Frontier, Gundam 00 and other things... all of which I did not watch but heard the music for.

However, there was one mecha-related anime which I watched, and I was going to sing the opening song as the closing to this performance.

Despite being a youkai, even Mystia has a limit, and she announced a short interval for everyone to wind down a little.

"Ikuto," I suddenly hear a familiar voice in a tone I had come to dread speak from over my head. "Could we have a word?"

I turn around to face the speaker. "Why of course, Sakuya. What is it?"

The maid beckons to me, and I obediently rise to my feet and follow after her.

"So," She begins once we're away from any eavesdroppers, "Would you care to explain why my name came up in your song?"

_Oh... how do I tell her that I just left it in when I copied the song? _"Well, that's just how it is." I answer vaguely.

Sakuya glares at me. "I would prefer a more informative answer."

"It's just what you think it is!" I insist, stubbornly sticking to my way of not actually answering.

She opens her mouth, then suddenly shuts it with a big change in expression, like she's looking at something unbelievable even by Gensokyo's standards.

"Sakuya?" I probe, wondering what's wrong with her.

"...never mind." Turning, she walks away stiffly.

_Did I offend her without meaning to? _I wonder.

"Think about what you said." A voice speaks into my ear, making me react rather badly.

"HOLY SHIT!" I lunge away from where it comes from. "Dammit, Yukari, don't do that!"

"That just proves you aren't vigilant enough." The rest of Yukari's upper body comes through the gap floating around my head level. "Now, think about what you said to that maid."

"Gimme a while." I take a few deep breaths to compose myself first. "Okay."

_'That's how it is'... erm, how would that sound to Sakuya? She's asking about why I mentioned her during the song... so... _My eyes widen as I realize the implication.

"Oh, but you don't have any time to think about it!" Yukari says in a false tone of voice that makes her sound like I'm extremely late for something. "You need to get going and sing the next song!"

"Wait, what?"

"Go on, everyone's waiting for you!" She floats around behind me and pushes me back towards where everyone is.

_Damn Yukari. Purposely not letting me think more about the fact that Sakuya probably thinks I'm crushing on her._ I let myself be directed back towards the stage, where I take the mike from Mystia. _Ah man... now I'm going to screw up this song because I'm-_

Once again, the one to start off the song is Merlin, but with her keyboard. It's a light, flowing tune that I've listened to many times; the starting to my favorite song of all time. I exhale slowly, letting all the interfering thoughts float away with the curling melody. This is the one song that I've always wanted to sing on a karaoke machine back in my world, but never got to. And now...

I bring the mike to my mouth with both hands, and look out at the expectant members of the audience. Merlin signals the start, and I sing.

"_I looked up at the echoing sky._"  
>"<span>Takaraka na ten wo aoida<span>." My voice only needs a slight bit of straining to match the original singer's tone.

"_At the flock of white birds taking off._" I look up at the night sky through the bamboo leaves.  
>"<span>Tobidatsu shiro~i tori no mure ni<span>."

"_And ask where the dream we ride is going._"  
>"<span>Noseta yume wa~ doko e yuku no to tazune<span>." I pause for a while, listening to the Prismrivers playing.

"_Carried by the wind, even if I'm lost in an unforeseen maze._"  
>"<span>Kaze ni tobasarete omoi mo, yoranai meiro ni mayottemo<span>."

"_Let's go searching~ Chasing the flowing clouds._" _This song really suits me, I think._  
>"<span>Sagashi ni yukou~ nagareru kumo oikake<span>." I fill my lungs for the bridge.

"_For example, even if the road before us comes to an end._" I fling one hand out dramatically.  
>"<span>Tatoeba~ kono saki~ dokoka de michi ga todaetemo<span>." My voice rises in volume, along with the music.

"_Let's map out the land that continues beyond._"  
>"<span>Tsuzuku~ daichi ni~ hateshinai chizu wo egakou<span>."

"_Making mistakes isn't anything to fear~_"  
>"<span>Machigai nado osoreru koto wa nai~<span>" I draw out the last word, then suck in more air for the chorus.

"_The endless story that originates here draws a parabola~_" The words rush out of me, matching the fast pace of the melody.  
>"<span>Koko kara hajimaru mugen no monogatari wa~ houbutsusen no egaki~<span>" I hum a bit, recalling how the actual song went.

"_Continuing on over the horizon._"  
>"<span>Chiheisen no mukou~ gawa made~ tsuzuite yuku<span>."

"_No matter what sadness we encounter,_"  
>"<span>Donna ni~ kanashii~ koto ga attemo<span>,"

"_Surely after the tears~_"  
>"<span>Namida no ato wa kitto~<span>"

"_Someone's journey will become the way of hope~_"  
>"<span>Dareka ga tabi wo suru~ kibou no~ michi ni naru yo~<span>"

I'm so lost in the song that I barely notice anyone else until I've finished it and started walking off the stage to thunderous applause. _Wow, looks like I did pretty good for a song that was meant to be sung by a female. Either that, or I owe the Prismriver sisters for playing so well. _

This time, I rejoin the crowd as part of Byakuren's group, and most of them look at me with awe.

"That was beautiful, Ikuto." She gushes.

"Thank you." I take my seat next to her.

"Unzan thought your song was quite good too." Ichirin informs me, and the cloud behind her bobs in an impression of a nod.

"I missed the start of it," I turn to look at Shou, who has her hands clasped with a sparkling expression, "But even hearing a small part was... I'm at a loss for words."

"Tha-" I blink, then stifle some laughter as I lean over to poke Nazrin. "I'd say that's not the only thing you're at a loss for."

The rat youkai glances at who I'm hinting about, and immediately covers her face with a hand, groaning, "Not again..."

"Shou..." Despite Byakuren's expression, there's a hint of a smile in her lips and amused exasperation in her tone.

"I'm sorry-!" The tiger youkai wails, finally realizing the loss of her pagoda.

"I feel like I need a walk anyway," I say as I get to my feet, "So how about I go looking for it for you?"

"Oh, we couldn't!" Nazrin protests, even as Mamizou looks around at all of us with small amusement.

"Just let him do it, Hijiri." Murasa speaks up, "If you're so worried, then just go with him."

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking of making _the_ trip myself." Byakuren concedes, and stands up as well.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Shou mutters, drawing a few stares as Mamizou pats her back comfortingly.

Minutes later, we're going through Eientei talking about Byakuren's efforts to get along with the Taoist group. Not exactly easy considering that Murasa seems to be at odds with one of them, engaging in some sort of prank war (5), though the rest seem to be fine about it, there's still a bit of worry due to the threat to the youkai population.

_A group having anti-youkai tendencies being so close to a group that wants to improve human-youkai relationships... man, that's really problematic. _"You don't have any problems using force if required, do you?" I ask in a serious tone of voice.

Byakuren looks at me in surprise. "If it comes to that, then I will. I will not stand by while innocent youkai are persecuted."

I smile. "I suppose you could ask Reimu to step in, if she's the one who defeated that... what's her name?"

"Toyosatomimi no Miko." My conversation partner provides.

"Miko, then. You know spell card rules as well as I do, the loser has to obey the will of the winner, so..."

"That would work." Byakuren concedes. "Ah, excuse me for a moment."

I spend what feels like quite a while waiting outside the toilet for Byakuren to do her business. I would like to mention right here, even if no one is around to listen except for my myriad personalities, that I do not get turned on by listening. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Byakuren apologizes when she comes out.

"No need for that." I wave my hand dismissively. "Did you see the pagoda inside?"

"Unfortunately no."

"That's odd... Shou wouldn't have taken a detour, which means..." I take a while to convert my emotional thinking to words. "Someone else must have taken it." I conclude.

"Should we get Nazrin?"

"We should have done that from the start." I sigh. "Things are never easy when you expect them to be."

"Now, don't complain." She chides as we start walking again. "If things were so easy, everyone would attain enlightenment."

I huff in amusement. "True."

I stop at one junction, and look in a direction away from the party.

"What's wrong?"

"Something tells me..." _Could it be? Hmm, let's check it out then. _"I think I have an idea to where the pagoda might be..."

"You do?"

"It's only a hunch, but follow me."

My hunch turns out to be right, as we find the faintly glowing treasure on the counter of Eirin's office. _Well, most people know well enough not to touch things, so lost items are either right where they were lost, or in a place that usually qualifies as a 'lost and found'. Although if it wasn't here, I'd be checking with Marisa to see if her light fingers didn't 'accidentally' pick it up._

"Really, that Shou..." Byakuren reaches out for the pagoda.

I didn't see the trap until too late; a small wire, revealed by the flicker of the pagoda's light when her hand comes into contact with it. By time I open my mouth, the woman is engulfed in a cloud of dust.

"Byakuren!" I immediately dash into it and pull her out, relying on my radar to sense where to grab.

"I'm..." She coughs a little. "Fine..."

"I think that was one of Tewi's-" A strange scent fills my nose. "No, this isn't Tewi, this was-"

Before I can say 'Eirin', slender but strong arms latch onto me, and something soft presses against my lips. _Oh no... oh no... mmm, well, this feels nice, at least... _I think to myself dizzily as Byakuren continues to make out with me. _Man, she's hot... wait, I shouldn't be doing this!_

I manage to gather enough strength and leverage to push her back slightly. "Puha! Bya-Byakuren, stop...!" I gasp out after finally getting some air.

If I had to describe the sound she makes in response, it'd be like a kitten mewing for milk VERY persuasively. _Seriously, Eirin! What the heck were you trying to prank me into? _The thought flashes through my mind before she overpowers me and starts kissing me again. _Ah, what the hell..._

By now, I'm quite used to the fact that I'm 'seeing' various girls... more of a sex friend than an actual relationship. But it's not hard to feel something special for each of them... even if I still have no definite idea whether it's true love or not. Personally, I'm hoping it is, because there's this feeling of closeness whenever I interact with each girl... and right now, I'm definitely feeling Byakuren's desire... it's hard to place how she tastes, but it's nice.

"Ikuto, WHAT are you doing?"

"...EIRIN?" I force my kisser's face back to look in the direction of the voice.

The culprit stares at me, amusement fading from her face. "Wait, you're... oh no."

"What was that- Mmmm..." Another pleasurable smooch distracts me.

This time, Byakuren is the one to pull away. "Oh my..." She says breathlessly, "I've never felt this way before!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Eirin's voice speaks, and something flies into my mouth. "Feed her that."

Byakuren lets out an uncharacteristic squeal and dives back in, trying to make ME swallow the pill instead. Having gained a healthy 'respect' for Eirin's drugs, I fight back desperately with my tongue, trying not to let her surprisingly good kissing skills distract me. Somehow, I manage to prevail, and Byakuren jerks back.

"Ikuto...?" She whispers, looking at me in shock.

"Eirin, I believe you owe Miss Hijiri an apology." I say breathlessly, not taking my eyes off her red face.

"You're right..."

Thankfully, Byakuren is forgiving of that prank, and the whole matter gets pushed under the rug. Apparently, Eirin was a victim of what I often call shitty luck; Byakuren tagging along was out of her expectations. But seriously... Eirin wanted to take revenge by sending me on a kissing spree among everyone? I suppose I deserve it with the way I embarrassed her, but somehow it seems a bit too much at the same time.

_Anyway, how am I supposed to face Byakuren from now on? Sure, we didn't really do it on purpose, but that doesn't change the fact that we were really going at it. _

Huh, it actually comes across as somewhat similar to my problem with the girls sometimes.

"So... keep it a secret?" I suggest as the two of us walk back together; Eirin stayed back to clean up.

Byakuren twitches a little at my voice. "Y-yes... I think th-that would be a go-good idea..."

"But... could we... talk about it... privately...?" The personality that was awakened earlier hijacks my mouth to say before I can stop myself. _Dammit._

"W-we could..."

The way she distances herself from me after we exit the building doesn't seem very convincing though. I can see Mystia beckoning to me in the distance, and realize I'm nearly overdue for my role in closing this party. The night sparrow gives me a hard look as I take the mike from her.

"Well, everyone, did you all have a good time?" I ask, receiving a number of cheers and nods in reply.

"Good then, because I'm going to sing again." I pause to let the resulting explosion pass. "It's more of an ending song, if you will."

"Just sing already -ze!"

"Yes, yes..." I turn slightly and nod to the three sisters.

The song starts with a short drum roll by Lyrica, before Merlin adds the sound of her trumpet. A brief jolt of amusement runs through me as I imagine Sanae's reaction if she knew the source of this song.

_It's a good thing that I can sing this group's songs pretty well, plus this song is special. _I take a deep breath, and yell the opening line. "JIBUN WO-!" (6)

* * *

><p>"Weren't you supposed to keep Flan from drinking?" I ask sternly.<p>

"Sorry..." A contrite Meiling apologizes.

The vampire in question is happily snoring in bed, after decimating a dozen fairies home, various trees, and sections of the bridge on a rather erratic flight home. It wasn't a particularly enjoying experience for me, considering the fact that I was hitching a ride on Flan as she was flying. It might have been the only thing saving my life...

"Oh well, I guess hauling stone from the quarry will be good training too." I mumble, shutting the door behind me as I leave.

"Yes, it would. Try to get some bigger stones too. You need to train your Red and Yellow Ki more."

"So I'm finally cleared to try piercing stone? Finally."

We go our separate ways on the ground floor after bidding each other good night, and I ascend the stairs to return to my room, intent on taking quick bath and getting some sleep before my early morning training.

"Ikuto." Sakuya stops me outside my door.

"What is it, Sakuya?" I think she twitched a little when I said her name, but maybe it's just my imagination.

"Eirin said to give you this-" Her words instantly wake me up and I notice the tiny box in her hand.

"Throw that away." I interrupt.

"Are you sure? She said it was just another-"

That personality hijacks my mouth again, aided by the fact that my body is feeling tired. "Either throw it away or open it." It comes out somewhat harsh.

"...that was uncalled for." She stiffly replies.

I wince and cover my face with one hand. "Sorry. But I have reason to believe that Eirin is trying to get at me with that."

"Are you sure?" Sakuya presses again.

"Absolutely," I begin, "In fact, during the party-"

This time, Eirin had calculated for my current situation. During my time at Eientei, I encountered quite a few interesting Lunarian gadgets, and I remember this one too late to do any good, not that I was able to identify it. It was a sort of release mechanism that functioned based on proximity to a certain target, and it could be used as a mine, an alarm clock, or... a prank delivery system, as Sakuya receives a small burst of familiar-looking dust in the face.

_Oh no, not again. _I think to myself in bemusement as Sakuya pushes me against the wall and starts kissing me. _The dose shouldn't be that much, so it'll end soon._

"You know... mmm... I'm going to... mmph... kill you after this..." The maid informs me in between kisses.

"Not until... Nn... I get..." I struggle for tongue dominance. "Eirin first..."

The drug wears off after twenty minutes, but Sakuya has changed her mind by then. I've learned that practice is VERY useful. Now if she would only let me practice on her some more... but our relationship has improved by leaps and bounds. I made sure not to let my hands roam where they shouldn't, after all.

* * *

><p>(1) Read my omake, Yukari's Errands. Although this story is quite a bit past what I've written for it so far.<p>

(2) Sakuya's theme. Awesome music.

(3) Seriously, you should know this song. It's been popularized by Kung Fu Panda.

(4) Acronym for 'Not in education, employment, or training.' Often used to describe Kaguya, since she's stuck in Eientei hiding.

(5) Shout out to another Touhou fanfic on FF.

(6) Guess this song. It's a very exciting one... and as hinted, it comes from an anime with mechas.

The first two songs are 'HELP ME, EIRIN' by Beat Mario and 'Wing My Way' by KOTOKO. Obviously, as stated at the start, both songs do not belong to me. My version of 'HELP ME, EIRIN' was slightly modified, with some adjustments to the English translations so they fit better. As for Mystia's songs... I don't really listen to that many Touhou songs, only finding a few that I really like, so I didn't mention what songs came up exactly.

Eirin's relationship with Ikuto is really playful in that sense, but neither of them have any problem with it; Eirin because she's ol- *looks at the arrow aimed in my direction* well-aged enough to be mature about it, Iktuo because he's pretty accepting of many things. Sakuya got trolled...

Most of this chapter was taken up by the songs, but Ikuto finally met the last member of the 'Old Maids Alliance', though there wasn't much interaction. This featured Sakuya and Byakuren more, through random coincidence.

Poor Shou... trying so hard, but always messing up when she least expects it.

I've created a poll on my profile page, to ask which SDM girl would you like to see Ikuto get together with first. I know I've hinted that one of them is already primed, but I just feel like asking for ideas on this. As for the other girls, they'll fall into place afterwards. Of course, if you want to see Ikuto get together with someone else in the meantime, just put it in a review.

School is finally starting again, so expect MUCH slower updates. Well, until next time, guys!


	47. Chapter 46: Coming to Terms

**56 days since my last update! Rather long time to be distracted...**

* * *

><p>Nnnnnn..." I lean back in my chair and stretch my arms above my head, loosening up muscles that I haven't worked for a while.<p>

Actually, my definition of 'a while' is rather loose.

"I'm done, Patchy..." I mumble, laying my head down on the desk.

"Good. You have half an hour to rest."

"..." I crack open an eye to look at the bobbing hat. "Say, Patchy... can we talk?"

"Feel free." The sorceress sounds unconcerned, but I have a strong feeling that her attention is right where I asked it to be.

"What's your opinion of me as a person who can't really use magic?"

"I don't have anything against you in particular." Patchy answers instantly. "Is there a point to this?"

I think about it for a while. "Actually... I forgot just where I was going with this line of discussion... something about whether there is any point for me to study advanced magic theory when you and I both know that I can't pull off any of the stuff it's applied to."

"There _are_ ways, may I remind you."

"Yeah... runes and stuff..." _Magic... a field that largely eludes me because I came from a place that... there I go again thinking about stuff I can't help._

"Perhaps you should try creating a runic sigil of your own." Patchy comments.

"Huh?"

The purple-haired sorceress looks up over her book and adjusts her glasses, giving me an intense look. "I believe Remi herself has noticed it as well, but you are no longer as determined as you were when you first began."

"I know." I say, my voice miserable without my meaning to.

It's a strange thing; my mood just fluctuates at times, giving me weird bursts of emotion that I have no idea where they came from. And in my current case, the emotion I'm experiencing is boredom. Everything seems to be pointless, even the morning training with Meiling is starting to feel like a drag.

"So you think I can reawaken my interest if I were to undertake a personal challenge?" Amazing how my tone can switch so quickly.

"Certainly."

I run my hand through my hair a few times. _Damn, I need to get it cut again soon. _"Okay, I guess... I'll think of something to work on first, then come to you?"

Amazing how expressive a slight twitch around the eyes can be.

_Sometimes, I wonder if all this will ever have any impact on my future... _I blink as a random daydream flits through my head. _...I wouldn't put it past Yukari to de-age me, and throw me into the Harry Potter world to go through seven years of magic learning. _(1)

After the half-priced bento fighting stuff, I've been more affirmed in my opinion of Yukari being able to do just about ANYTHING.

Anyway, regarding the topic of magic, I've found that the range of stuff it covers is beyond broad once I actually got past the basic elemental manipulation stuff. Patchouli didn't spend a century researching and building a library for nothing; besides her 'trademarked' elemental spells, she typically works on a certain branch of magic for a period of time ranging from days to months (yes, she's that good, considering how many books she has written; I'd take centuries), exploring its intricacies and nuances, and writing down her discoveries in books that also contain a 'live' modicum of that research, before moving on to the next. Needless to say, if she ever unleashed the full power of what she carries, Gensokyo might be nothing more than ashes.

I could be exaggerating though... but somehow, I'm not so against the idea of Marisa coming in to steal books now. Granted, it's like using a dropper to reduce the amount of nitroglycerin, but the thought counts, even if the person using that dropper has no idea of what she's doing. I think.

Speaking of Marisa, I know she works really hard to maintain her skills and keep up with the miko that doesn't do much, but after reading up on defensive and offensive wards, and actually learning about the stuff involved with them, my respect for the witch has greatly increased. Who knew that the number of wards she penetrates in order to 'borrow' Patchy's books were that many? I know for a fact that Patchy doesn't actually use the _real_ defenses since she kind of enjoys Marisa's 'visits', but still... And then there's the fact that Marisa manages to get through without being detected a quarter of the time. Compounded by her young age.

For all her hard work, Marisa's definitely got talent. (In thievery)

I'm getting distracted again. Learning how to set and maintain wards at an adequate level took me only four days, and then I got bored just as quickly. Mixing reagents to produce potions and magical mixtures lasted only a week (the theory is fun, but there's a huge load of cross-reactions to keep track of; any idiot who can follow instructions can brew a potion), and might have gone even longer if I hadn't had some experience from working with Eirin, and had been willing to handle the more dangerous stuff. Then there's the runes...

If I were more childish, I would describe myself as fan-gasming over the use of runes. As it is, there's a wide range of applicability for what I consider 'the written language of magic' (there are various languages in that case too), the least of which is the 'key' granted by Patchy to help me absorb the information in her books faster. I know I'm smarter than the norm, but even I'm not so good as to absorb all the information I have in the past month or so on my own power. It comes across as cheating to me a little, but...

_On my own power... _I lean back in my chair, sighing as I close my eyes. _Thanks to a lack of it, I'm feeling like a jack of all trades, just dabbling in this and that. And then there's the other matter..._

"Is something the matter?" I hear Koakuma ask.

My muscles tense a little, feeling the effects of her aura. "Mmm... yeah. Patchy."

"Yes?" The scribbling sound made by her quill pauses.

"Could you tell me why you're teaching me all this? I know I asked to learn, but excuse me if I'm being suspicious about the extent you're going with it." I turn my head and open my eyes to see Patchy's purple ones looking back at me steadily.

"A little more knowledge never hurts."

A chuckle escapes me. "True. But I bet Marisa would be annoyed to know that you're giving me stuff she has to _work_ to obtain." _Probably enough to Master Spark me._

A frown crosses her brow as Koakuma giggles behind me. "I do not approve of her... _methods_."

This time, I manage to stifle the chuckle. "I'd agree if I were in your position. But that still doesn't answer my question."

Her reply comes in a clipped tone. "It is my choice as to whom my research is shown to."

_In other words... mind your own business. _"Whatever you say." _I'm suspecting Yukari's hand in this again. It's getting so easy to blame that gap hag..._

"Anything else?"

"Errr... thanks again for teaching me?" I offer. "If you need my help, just ask." _Doubt there's anything I can do that she can't, though._

Patchy nods and drops her gaze back down to her book. "Offer noted."

_Stiffer than usual... but I guess she's not that distant if she's willing to accept that offer. Huh, maybe Patchy's a kuudere? Haven't seen any dere parts yet though._

"I do hope you're thinking of what to undertake as a personal project."

I start from my seat, having forgotten about that matter. Stupid short term memory. "Yeah... I think I'll take a walk on it for now."

Koakuma backs away a little as I walk past her, heading for the exit. I've gotten used to dealing with her aura already, but I bet that I'll lose control if I get within a meter of her. Obviously, I have no wish to try it out.

Still, it's not like I let that get in the way of forming a good working relationship with her. She's provided me with quite a lot of help when I got stuck during my studies.

"Onii-chan!" Flan's childish voice hails me the moment I step out of the library. "Done already?"

I smile at the little vampire. "Yeah."

I extend my hand to her, and she takes it, leading me on a random walk around the mansion as she tells me about what she did after waking up. As always, a small part of me is a little annoyed at having to deal with her childishness, but on the other hand, Flan is just so cute and innocent...

Then she blows up a passing fairy just for the heck of it.

"Flan..." I start off solemnly, glancing at the ashes that remain.

"Sorry, Onii-chan." Flandre apologizes, albeit not very convincingly.

I sigh and pat the top of her hat-covered head. "Try not to do it so much, okay? Sakuya and Remi would get mad with you."

"Okayyy~"

"What am I going to do with you..." I mock-scold her. "So, what else did you do today, Flan?"

I barely listen to her tell me about her usual antics of playing with her already damaged toys, practicing her strength control, and running around the place, choosing instead to manhandle her body around in my arms, something she strangely enjoys.

_Still can't figure out just what is this smell around her... _I breathe in the scent of her hair as I continue to walk down the corridor, Flan absently kicking her legs in the air as I hold her up with a firm hug around her waist. _Woah, that nearly hit my nuts! Risky position here..._

Flan really can chatter on; in some ways, it's like her charm point, like Yuyuko's airheadedness. This innocence... it's quite refreshing. On the other hand, when I compare it to Cirno's personality, I wonder just how can I react so differently to the two of them. Maybe it has something to do with Flan looking up to me as an elder brother. Then again, if Cirno ever saw me in that light, she'd still challenge me to prove her strength, and I'll still treat her the same.

I push open the door to the room I know Remi would be in, smirking slightly as giggles come from behind my head.

"I am reminded of the story of you kidnapping that little drunkard." Remi says in a dry tone of voice when she spots me... carrying her little sister over my shoulder.

"Hi, Onee-sama!" Flan greets cheerfully despite facing in the opposite direction.

"I hope I'm not intruding?" I clear the smile off my lips to ask politely.

"You know the answer already, Ikuto." Remi gives me a small smile of her own.

I make my way over to her and lower Flan down onto the couch next to her sister, letting the elder Scarlet sister interact with her sibling while her maid pours me a cup of tea.

"Thanks, Sakuya." I raise an eyebrow slightly when the maid brushes back one of her braids, and touches her lips. _I think she's enjoying our meetings a little too much._

"Ikuto." I look back at the mistress of the mansion, who's sitting alone.

_Wait, Flan's... _I look over at the door, which is slightly ajar. _When did she leave? _"Yes?"

Remi glances at her maid. "Sakuya, leave the two of us alone. Make sure Flan does not get into trouble."

"Yes, Milady." Her maid bows and leaves after her sister.

"You know, Remi," I speak softly, watching my hostess thoughtfully, "I don't think I've ever thanked you for... this."

The teacup pauses in its ascending motion. "Really."

I nod. "Yes. That's why I want to say thank you for..." I grope for a description, "Letting me confide in you."

In the periods of time before I drop off to sleep, I had been thinking about my relationships to those I'm bonded with. Youmu is something like sweet teenage love (a cringe-worthy description to my male adult outlook), Yuyuko being a flighty elder sister, Reisen a steady support, and Eirin the dependable but prone to bouts of teasing other-elder sister. Kaguya and Mokou would be idol and hooligan (Mokou would kick my ass if she heard me describe her that way) respectively, except that I'm playing support to them instead.

Alice... isn't one that I like to think about, but I know for sure that despite the fact I'm rarely around physically, she is very much dependent on me. To be candid, if I didn't know Eirin that well, I'd have suspected her of slipping Alice some drugs. It's that feeling of knowing someone is staring at you... waiting for you to look at them... except it's in the stalkerish sense instead of the romantic one. At least she's controlling herself; according to Remi, I should give her a chance at least. Maybe it might get her to step back a bit more.

Komachi is still my sex friend who loves to skive off, but occasionally, my opinion of her approaches the one I have with Suika, by which I mean that of soul mates. The little oni is never far from my mind; it's honestly amazing how we can bond so closely despite our vastly different backgrounds. I honestly love that little mischievous oni.

Then there's Iku. She's like the third point that forms the triangle of our fun-loving group. While Suika brings vibrancy to the party and Komachi the relaxing atmosphere (once again, trying to convert emotional thinking to logical one is a headache), Iku would be the one that _enhances _it, bringing all of us closer together than I could have done alone. Sharing makes things better and all that sort of stuff, probably.

But in this mansion, apart from the rare physical and spiritual trips out or the random visits, I rarely get to see any of them. And honestly, there's this odd feeling of something missing inside, and it's been tearing at me. I don't particularly care for how it's been eroding my willpower away, making me act a bit short with the inhabitants of the mansion during some of our interactions, and feeling like an ass afterwards for acting that way. It was bad enough that even my good mood after the 'concert' lasted only a day.

So I took a risk and decided to talk about it. I mean, I've never really gone for any psychiatrist counseling, but obviously it helps, or those jobs wouldn't exist, right? (Once again proving my point about sharing) Taking Remi as my choice of person to talk to was a bit of a stretch, though. Meiling's a friendly girl, but she's not mature enough. Flan's too sweet for me to think of pouring my troubles out to her. I can't even IMAGINE myself speaking to Patchy about this, leaving only Sakuya and Remi.

After our snogging session, Sakuya and I are _much_ closer, enough to spawn a second blank chip... which was why I discounted her. I'm not entirely sure of what's involved in dumping one's emotional baggage on someone at such an early stage of a relationship, but my instinct told me it was definitely not recommended.

Remi asked about that the last time we talked, and her reaction... let's just say the mistress DOES care for her dog. Enough to make it clear just what she would have done to me if I had picked wrongly and Sakuya didn't react well.

But anyway, I've been talking to Remi, and she's quite the good listener, resulting in me pouring out my troubles to the vampire. I always feel much more at ease after talking to her.

Remi finishes her tea and sets the cup back down on its saucer. "So what is the problem this time, Ikuto?"

I lean forward and pick up the teapot to refill her drink for her. "Just the usual bout of ennui, actually. Patchy recommended that I try creating something of my own to occupy me, but it's tough trying to think of something."

An eyebrow lifts up. "Oh? And the reason for that is?"

"I honestly have no idea." I admit. "I mean, there are things I can come up with off the top of my head, but none of them hold my interest at all. I won't be able to develop them fully."

"Perhaps you have yet to find the right mindset." Remi suggests.

I nod in agreement. "Possibly."

"Now, let us speak of your... interactions with the rest of my household."

I suppress a mental wince. _Should have known this was coming. _"Alright."

"I believe you know my feelings with regards to Sakuya." She flashes a fang at me. "I'm not condoning anything, mind you, but I trust your discretion on that issue."

I lean back in my seat. "Noted."

"Howver," Remi continues, surprising me, "I would like to hear your feelings towards my maid."

"I like her." I admit instantly.

She eyes me for a moment before nodding. "I'm not giving her to you."

THAT throws me off. "Whatthefuck?" I blurt out.

It takes me a moment to realize that Remi is chuckling. "You should have seen the look on your face!"

"Damn." I mutter. "I suppose you want to hear me say what I like about Sakuya?"

She waves her hand dismissively. "Leave that between the two of you. Next, let's talk about Meiling. Have you apologized to her yet?"

I recall the small argument I had with the gatekeeper a few days ago, when she took me to task for my poor attitude and I had snapped at her. During my conversation with Remi after that, I was told to apologize, but...

"Haven't gotten round to it yet. But I intend to do so after this."

"See that you do. Now, your opinion of Meiling?"

"Healthy respect and close friendship." Once I passed the learning stage, Meiling became less unapproachable (she was quite friendly in the beginning though). It became like learning from a senior student instead of directly from a teacher.

"Is that all?" Remi nibbles on a finger with a sly expression.

"Wait, when did this come to... to that?" I demand.

Remi's finger moves from her mouth to her nose. "I can smell your... what was the term for it- unresolved sexual tension."

My head slams into the table. _Fuck._ "You do know," I grumble with my forehead pressed against the cool wood, "I _have_ been dealing with that?"

"You have?" The surprise in her voice is almost believable.

_Mainly with Suika and Eirin. Doing it with Komachi helps to tone things down in my physical body a little as well. _"Besides," I continue, still in the same position, "It's not... I'm not... compensating for that."

"Then what is the problem?" Remi presses.

It's a question I need to hear. One that has to come from someone other than me.

"I'm... compensating for this gap in here." I sit up and touch my chest, looking straight at her.

She doesn't blink.

"Even with everyone else... there's something... someone missing."

"And who might that person be?"

_I... don't know. _"I... don't know. I don't even know where to start looking... I can't think of who it might be."

"Are you still going to try to look?"

"The thing is," I shift my body as I speak, turning to lie down on the couch with my head resting on the armrest, "Every time I try to think about it, the facts and clues seem to just slip out of my mind."

"And you suspect..."

I smirk. "Yukari. I don't have any proof, but it's always nice to blame her."

Remi snickers. "I can certainly see why. I thought you had a journal. Why didn't you write in it?"

_Gah. _"Umm... actually, I burned it." _Came back to bite me on the ass._

She blinks at me. "I don't think I want to-"

"This time I can really blame it on Yukari." I interrupt. _Spying on what I wrote is only part of the cause, but it's still a part of it. _"But we're getting sidetracked here. The fact is, I'm apparently missing someone, and I _might_ be latching onto Sakuya and possibly Meiling as a result of that."

"And," I hold up my hand in front of my face towards the ceiling, "I respect the two of them too much to insult them that way."

"So," The tone in Remi's voice makes me look at her, and notice her expression, one that I would describe as mischievously shrewd, "What happens if you genuinely fall for them?"

"Genuine?" I snort in spite of myself. "I don't KNOW enough to tell the difference, despite my _apparent_ experience."

"Maybe you just need some more." She suggests innocently.

I glare at her suspiciously. "Are you actually trying to set me up with them?" I look around suspiciously to check that our conversation is still private.

Her earlier comment about not giving me Sakuya comes to mind, making me curse my inability to see through Remi when she lies.

"I believe our conversation will have to continue at a later time." Remi replies calmly.

The meaning of her words sinks in when Flan suddenly pops back into the room demanding that I cuddle her. I give her elder sister a look that says 'this isn't over', as I bleed my finger for Flan's daily snack.

Sakuya does a good job of making me forget about my troubles when I meet her in an unused room later in an answer to her unspoken invitation. I should be feeling a bit of guilt at snogging someone who's not one of my lovers... but every time I think that, the voice in my head keeps adding the word 'yet' at the end.

* * *

><p>It's actually quite easy to apologize... if you kill any emotions involved. Obviously that detracts the purpose of actually apologizing. But for a true apology, I find that you can break the deterring emotions of guilt by reinforcing yourself with the desire to mend or improve the relationship.<p>

"Meiling... I'm sorry about how I spoke to you before." I meet her eyes for a moment before dropping my gaze.

"Huh?"

"You know, I was rather rude to you."

"Oh, that!"

Footsteps, then a hand lands on my left shoulder, gripping it with a comfortable warmth.

"Don't worry about it."

I look up to see her smiling reassuringly. She raises her other hand, pulling my eyes to it, and extends a finger like she's lecturing.

"I know you didn't mean it."

"Really, how?" I ask in spite of myself.

The redhead pokes my nose teasingly. "You're a good guy, Ikuto."

_Not really. _"You're making this hard on me..." I mumble, "I'm supposed to be apologizing here."

"You don't have to." She pokes my nose again.

_That's irritating... _A thought strikes me, and I grin. I poke her in the side before she can react, making Meiling flinch slightly.

"You..." Her eyes glint dangerously.

Meiling tries to grab me, but I slip around to her side and poke her again.

"Come on, you ain't gonna get me that easy!"

Jab. Parry. Parry. Jab. Jab.

A hand clamps down on my wrist, halting my finger an inch from her rib. "Got you."

Meiling swipes at my head, and I dodge by ducking down. I transfer the motion into my arm, twisting through and out of her grip. She doesn't let up; a shin comes around in a low arc, forcing me to execute a somersault at low height to avoid it, and just as immediately flip in reverse when she sweeps the same leg back, but this time propagating the motion long enough to get out of range.

"Nice movements." I hear Meiling comment as I finally land firmly on my feet.

"Thanks to you." I pant, grinning.

A burst of dirt explodes behind her, signaling the start of a sudden charge. She comes in with a very obvious attack; a heavy palm thrust enhanced with a ground-cracking stomp.

Countless hours of self-training and sparring keeps my breathing and focus stable, and the Ki flows through my limbs without a hitch; my leading hand comes around to meet her attack from the side... before snaking around it and capturing its momentum under my control.

Her palm misses my chest.

Our spar is underway. Meiling is already starting off at high gear, utilizing Ki blasts and a great deal of speed to keep me on my toes.

I don't know how exactly to describe my response, but the way my body's Ki is functioning makes me feel like I have COMPLETE control over my body's movement, allowing me to pull off mid-air dodges that I never thought I'd be able to do without the ability of flight.

Midway through, Meiling stops to exclaim, "You're moving like one of those puppeteer's dolls!"

_That's part of the idea. The other part is- _My hands flicker around in a pattern I spent days repeating, waiting for her next attack. When it comes... _Capturing her flow, setting up for a counter!_

My palm presses into her midsection with hardly any force. Then the Ki infused into it explodes out and sends Meiling flying back a short distance. But she doesn't stumble on her landing, and there's a slight orange tint to the place I struck.

"Need more practice with that Green one!" She calls out, then whirls to the side to avoid the slicing burst I released from my leg. "Nice!"

I let myself feel a brief glow of pride from seeing the gouge my kick left in the ground. It wouldn't do much more than chip a rock, but it's satisfactory enough for me to use in my arsenal.

"Don't mind if I go full-out with the testing!" I call back, and channel Ki into my feet. _Indigo... SPEED!_

It's hardly on the level with Phantom Blossom's boost, but it's enough for me to have a high-speed exchange with Meiling over a large area. Kicks, knees, elbows, fists, palms, back thrusts, heels, none of our blows connect with their targets, due to our unspoken agreement to keep things clean.

_Still a bit of hitch in keeping the Ki use in the right proportions, but good enough for a short tussle. _I duck and turn the motion into a leg sweep that Meiling jumps over. _Need more practice to perfect this. _

There's something remarkably uncomplicated about fighting- I mean sparring- against Meiling. When I trained against Alice or Youmu, I had to pull lots of tricks in order to win. But this redhead and her simple character somehow pushes me to match her on a level playing field. Or is she matching me instead?

In between one strike and the next, her speed suddenly picks up, and I mess up a dodge, leaving me in the path of a thrown fist.

_Purple! Pur- _My eyes widen as the Ki fluctuates wildly. _SHIT- _My hands twist around in reflex.

THUD

I stare at the caught fist in my hands, firmly sheathed in the Blue Ki of stability. There's a bit of Orange in there, but the majority of it is Blue.

"I didn't know it was possible to do that." I murmur.

"Neither did I." Meiling replies in a hushed voice.

"What's-" I notice the glow start to flicker. "Uhh, is that-"

Then the sheathe explodes under the force of the power contained within, sending me flying through the air. I barely remember to brace for impact before I crash and roll across the ground.

"Owww..." I groan, my hands burning painfully enough that I curl up reflexively over them.

Through the pain, I sense someone approaching and kneeling near me. "You okay, Ikuto?"

"What... happened...?"

"The Ki I was using broke through your Blue one." Meiling touches my hands carefully, eliciting a hiss from me. "Sorry."

"It's okay..." I bite out. "Just hurts like hell." _At least it's not like that time I practiced the Nail Punch thing... _

I chance a glance at my hands. There's no visible damage, but the palms are extremely red and swelling slightly, and I can't move even the smallest bit without feeling some feedback in the form of stinging pain.

_Perhaps I should reopen the idea of using Blue Ki as a delivery system again. Imagine being able to capture your opponent's attack and return it back to them._

"Come on, let's get you up and back inside so we can treat that." Meiling pulls me to my feet and leads me back towards the mansion.

Feeling her support me so closely is quite comforting, and the mixed smells of her natural scent and sweat is a bit... let's just say that my body is reacting somewhat.

I'm not sure how much I'm changing, but my morals seem to be playing an increasingly backseated role when it comes to making decisions with regards to this side of things.

* * *

><p><em>"Bored." I put a great deal of emotion into that one word.<em>

_"Why not drink, then?" Komachi inquires._

_"Because I'm bored of that too."_

_Suika gasps, scandalized. "You can't get bored of drinking!"_

_"Yes I can."_

_The oni brandishes her gourd at me. "I'll prove you wrong!"_

_What happens next is a scene worthy of a slapstick movie; Suika trying to force the gourd to my lips while I fend her off. Of course, we're playing, since there's no way I could stop her if she was really serious._

_"DRINK!"_

_"NO!"_

_Suika pushes her gourd against my cheek. "DRINK!"_

_I push it back a little. "NO!" _

_"DRINK!"_

_"Only if you kiss me."_

_"Deal."_

_She throws her head back to take a gulp, then presses her lips against mine, letting the stinging alcohol flow into my mouth as our tongues wrestle for dominance. Her arms curl around my neck; I can feel her gourd pressing against my shoulder as she pulls her small body into mine._

_"Oi! Stop that, you two!" Komachi's call precedes a cushion hitting the side of my head._

_I pull my head back and turn to look at the redhead out of the corner of my eye. "You do know that we've all seen each other naked quite a few times already?"_

_The shinigami gets up and stalks over to us. "That's not the point here, dimwit." _

_I lick my lips clean of the spilt sake as Suika sits back and takes another drink. Komachi flops down next to me and leans back on my right side. I can smell the flowers she often napped in before the house was built. I asked her about the flowering incident, and came up with an idea to make use of the waiting spirits. A simple 'Wait here to cross over' sign in a bed of flowers, and we've got no end of blooms to bring a nice scent to the place. _

_Adds a hell lot to the romance factor when you sprinkle petals around the futon._

_"Bored." She echoes my earlier announcement._

_"Right?" I mumble, tilting my head to rest on hers._

_"I think I'm tired of slacking." Komachi reaches around to take my hand, and pulls my arm around her waist._

_"Imagine Eiki's reaction if she heard you say that. She'd probably think that you've gone crazy or something."_

_"Hehehe..." Suika chuckles, and passes her gourd over to Komachi. "Sucks to have a job, doesn't it?"_

_"Ahh~ ah." The shinigami whines, before taking a gulp of her own. "Say, Ikuto. How's things over at your end?"_

_"I..." _How ARE things, actually? I'm training hard, I'm learning a few forms of magic, and... _"Things are... complicated."_

_I feel like I should be offended by the way the two of them snort at the same time. "It always is with you." Komachi mutters._

_"Story of my life in Gensokyo." I deadpan. _The irony is that it's supposed to be simple.

_After a few more minutes of chatting about mundane matters, our positions have shifted to put Komachi on her front, Suika leaning back against my back, and me lightly drumming my heels on Komachi's back in a light massaging rhythm._

_"A bit lower. Yeah, right there."_

_I oblige her, taking care not to plant my weight down too hard. Komachi dissolves into contented mumbles while Suika adds to the surrounding sound with her gulping and soft burps._

_"By the way, what happened to Iku?" I ask. _Haven't seen her for the past three visits.

_"I think she mentioned something about having to deal with other Celestials." Komachi murmurs, her head lolling peacefully._

_My eyes widen slightly, though my heels don't pause in their drumming. The talks with Remi made it clear how I view Iku, but I just realized that these periods of downtime aren't as fun without the calm and cool youkai._

_"Missing her?" Suika teases._

_"Yeah." I admit._

_There are two sayings: 'Out of sight, out of mind', and 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'. Both applies in this case; for example, I care for Youmu and Yuyuko, but our lack of interaction usually results in me not paying them any thought until I do see them, in which case I have to control myself from being all over the girls in question (is it any wonder that a visit to Eientei usually takes up the whole day?). On the other hand, when I'm in a place where I can expect to see Iku but don't end up doing so, I start wondering about her and what she's doing..._

I hope I don't end up thinking less of any of the girls just because I don't see them enough. _I bite my lower lip when Alice's face comes into my mind. _Not exactly the romantic relationship I want, but at least it's not a relationship of responsibility.

_Komachi's voice breaks into my thoughts, "What's wrong? You stopped."_

_I glance down, meeting her red eyes. "Sorry," I reply, resuming the motion, "Thinking about-" _(2)

_"Iku." The two of them guess._

_I roll my eyes. "Yeah. I wonder if it's because of Tenshi." I muse._

_"It's been a while since I went up there..." Suika rocks from side to side, pulling my body along with it._

_"Are you going to leave me alone with Komachi?" I fake a hint of loneliness... or perhaps not, I enjoy the little oni's presence too much._

_"Hey!" The girl beneath my feet protests, "Is it so bad to be in my company?"_

_"*cough*succubus*cough*" I fake coughs, causing Suika to snort._

_I've only thought about this matter in passing a few times, but there is something inherently dangerous about long-lived and developed females like Eirin or Komachi... apparently their bodies have appetites to match their curves, as I have found out for myself. Even Iku herself has shown flashes of this._

_Not that I regret entering into a friends with benefits relationship with Komachi, but it's rather rude of me to vanish before she's fully satisfied just because ejaculating shortens the amount of time I can spend outside my body._

_"Wanna do it?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"You got that goofy look on your face, Ikuto."_

_"..." I touch my face. "Damn."_

_Suika picks that moment to interrupt, "Hey Ikuto, when's the next time you're free?"_

_"Two days, I think? I'm working on something new."_

_"Making sake?" The drink-loving loli asks eagerly._

_"No."_

_"Awww~"_

_Apart from Suika asking for and getting her own massage, the rest of the time passes uneventfully, without Iku making an appearance._

* * *

><p>"Mmm..." Sakuya mumbles against my lips, nipping at the lower one. "Ikuto..."<p>

"Have I mentioned how I love kissing you?" I pull away to murmur, before descending to nuzzle her neck.

"Only about every...time. Mmmyessss." She voices her appreciation when I touch one of her sensitive spots.

I continue talking, "Have I said why?"

"Well..." Sakuya's hands stop moving on my shoulders. "No."

"One, you're a good kisser." I punctuate it with a light peck on her lips, pulling back instead of letting her deepen it.

"Only good?" She gasps with a hint of indignation.

"Two, I love how you sound when I do something like... this." Ignoring her words, I run a finger across the back of her neck, making her shiver and emit a soft mewing sound.

"And three," I touch my forehead to hers, looking deeply into her dark blue eyes, "..."

"Three?" She prompts.

"I dunno." I smirk, and peck her on the lips again. "I just love kissing you."

"Rascal." Sakuya scolds, but both of us know that her hearts not in it.

If my relationship with Komachi is that of sex friends, then my relationship with the perfect and elegant maid is that of kissing partners; I'm not sure if it counts as a platonic relationship... wait, what's the exact meaning of the word platonic anyway? Damn lack of Internet. But anyway, Sakuya approached me after avoiding me for two days after Eirin's 'gift', claiming she wanted to prove that what we shared that night was just a consequence of that drug.

No need to mention how _that_ turned out. We started out with simple chaste kisses on the cheeks first, then the mouth, then tongue... and so on. While I'm curious about whether she really wanted to prove it or not, I'm not curious enough to risk her knives. Besides, this can't be called 'thinking with the other head', can it?

It's been four days since I had my counseling session with Remi, and just recently today, I figured out just what she had planned when Sakuya roped me into becoming her packhorse for certain articles of clothing that had been ordered from one of the specialty shops in the village. Despite the fact that they were wrapped up, it was easy enough to guess what was inside by looking at the other wares: evening gowns. (I'm sure there are many types, but I only know the general description)

Then there's the fact that Sakuya is currently 'rewarding' me for learning how to dance from her. She thinks it's because I'm good at reading my partner's signals, but frankly, I think she's just a good teacher, just like how she taught me to throw needles and knives. But when I asked her how she learned to dance, she refused to tell me. I didn't press any further; she's very good at distracting me from that train of thought.

Suddenly, Sakuya stiffens. "Milady."

I glance around, but Remi's not present. _That means... _"You better go to her then."

The maid nods once, and pulls out her watch. "Tomorrow night." She reminds me, and vanishes.

I stop by the library intending to talk to Patchy before turning in. Koakuma finds me and leads me to yet another one of the corners that the sorceress had chosen for her research. I look around when I come out from among the shelves.

"Do you research different things in different places? How do you keep track of all of them?" _This is the... sixth? seventh? spot I've seen her use. Simultaneous research... _Patchy is beginning to unnerve me with her intelligence.

"In my head." Patchy drawls back.

"Asked for that one." I chuckle.

"I assume you've finally made your decision about what you want to work on?" She asks without looking up from her tome.

Actually, I had all but forgotten about it until recently. It was only a thought about my fighting style against Meiling that brought me back on track, and I came up with it nearly right away.

Wind.

I have a talent for manipulating it as it flows, according to Patchy. From there, it's obvious that I should try to incorporate it into my abilities and movements. It's just a matter of explaining what I had in mind to Patchy, the teacher.

"Use of wind to augment your movement?"

"Why do you sound so disbelieving?" I retort, annoyed. "I can't fly like everyone here does, remember?"

She ignores that. "Well, it's not impossible. I'll tell Koa to get you the books you'll need."

"Thanks." _Hopefully it's possible to use wind as a method for fast travel. _"By the way, are you attending the party tomorrow night?"

Patchy gives a very patronizing look.

"Right, stupid question." _Forgot she rarely does attend a party. _

Question answered, the purple-haired sorceress turns back to her book and continues to write.

"What about you, Koa?" I use the succubus' nickname to test the waters with her.

It appears that my addressing her is more of a concern than the fact that I did so using a nickname, since she starts stuttering. "Eh? Me? I, err..."

"You can go if you wish, Koa." Patchy gives her permission.

"O-Okay." I'm not sure if the expression of Koa's face is meant to be happy or dismayed.

"I guess that means I'll be- _I might be,_" I correct myself, "Dancing with you tomorrow night."

It's kind of funny how she fumbles the books in her arms, but luckily she doesn't drop them. Bidding the pair good night, I take a risk and walk past Koakuma, passing within three meters of her. The effect of her aura is there, but I manage to shrug it off enough for a normal walking speed.

_Adapting to things as usual. I doubt I'll ever be fully immune, but at least I won't go into a rape-crazy mood around her. So if whatever barrier Patchy puts up around her fails while we're dancing, I'll have enough time to distance myself._

* * *

><p>Instead of having the usual sparring with Meiling, it's decided that I should just test my stamina by running around the island, thus saving me from showing up to tonight's party with bruises.<p>

But... running around the island gets rather boring. Certainly, it's big enough that I don't see all the scenery within a minute, but do it over and over again...

"COUNT!" I snap out to Meiling as I sprint past the front gate.

I don't bother looking back; she will have put a mark down to keep track of the completed round- I skid to a halt and reverse directions, speeding up even more. "DON'T SLEEP, DAMMIT!" I yell as I launch my attack.

"WOAH!" Meiling barely ducks my running swipe, having woken up at the last moment due to the warning.

"Mark it down properly!" I scold, reversing directions again to continue with my run.

"Got it~"

"AND DON'T FALL ASLEEP AGAIN!" I yell over my shoulder.

A yelp of pain informs me that Sakuya overheard us, and carried out her own form of punishment with her knives. For the next ten rounds, I see a penitent Meiling dutifully doing her job.

_Huh, I expected my stamina to be lower than this. Guess Ki really does boost the body. _Shaking sweat from my hair, I head back in to wash up.

After a quick shower, Sakuya pulls me aside for a quick dancing refresher, which she appears to enjoy quite a bit. Then after that, we work together to cook a heavy lunch, plus prepare a few snacks to serve in place of dinner for this evening's party. Performing my servant duties, I rouse Flan from her slumber and lead her, sleep-drowsy and all, to the dining room where her sister is waiting. There's very little conversation, but Remi reminds us all about tonight's arrangements.

I spend the remaining few hours reading the books on inscribing runes and magic sigils provided by Koakuma, assimilating the information with Patchouli's runic key. It's a pity I can't do this with normal books, but the wealth of knowledge pouring into my head is nothing to scoff at, even if I'm unable to use more than a smidgen of it.

_Well, you just can't help some things. I'm pretty good at accepting my limits anyway. _I glance at the clock. _Nearly time for me to go. I better get changed._

My clothes for tonight's ball... I have no idea about how it's made, but I can describe it well enough. Unlike my usual butler suit, the overcoat has a faint reddish tint to it under light, while the shirt that goes on beneath it is purple in color with a pure black tie, instead of the white shirt and red bowtie. Looking at myself in the mirror, I can't help but compare myself to Kyouya Hibari, the Cloud Guardian from Reborn.

_With my hair at its current length and messy, I seriously look like him. _Just for the sake of it, I put on a dismissive expression and try saying one of his lines. "I'll bite you to death," I growl.

Maybe I should get some tonfas too.

Joking and cosplaying aside, I do look kind of handsome, in a rugged sense. I wet my hair and run a comb through it a few times, trying out a few different styles before settling on one that I feel confident in.

But looking good or not, I'm still getting my hair cut. I much prefer it short.

Checking my appearance one last time, I tug a wrinkle in the cloth straight, and exit my room, making my way to the ballroom where the party is being held.

One thought runs through my mind as I'm reaching for the door handles. _I don't know crap about etiquette apart from playing the obedient servant. _Being a proper partner and all that stuff... I don't know what to do.

That part of my mind suddenly speaks up. _You don't seem to need it anyhow. Just wing it._

"Okay then." I say out loud. "Here goes."

I push open the doors and walk in, trying not to let anyone see how nervous I am as I look around for the girls I would be dancing with tonight.

There's something to be said for seeing someone you know in different clothes. Every single one of them can only be described as beautiful at the very least, and none of them are wearing their usual headwear.

The one that stood out instantly was Meiling, thanks to her sleeveless jade green cheongsam. While the faint gold embroidery of a dragon is impressive to look at, a generously-sized diamond gap on the front draws attention to her chest. In addition, the gold trim of the lower half instantly attracts the eye, and teasing it with more than a few glimpses of the white-stockinged legs beneath the cloth. I glance briefly at the bamboo green footwear before looking at the face of the woman herself. Her crimson hair still hangs freely, but the braids on either side of her face have been done up to form that cloth-wrapped twin bun hairstyle that my mind has associated with the Chinese. All in all, her current look really enhances her Amazonian image.

The next one to catch my eye is Flan. The little vampire has actually done her blond hair up into twintails with pink ribbons. Her modest black gown has small bows to match those in her hair, making her look even more adorable than she normally does. But there's also a touch of nobility to her looks, courtesy of the golden chain around her neck and the ruby pendant that hangs off it. I notice her looking at me with nervous expectation, and instantly give her a reassuring smile, making Flan beam in response, with her wing crystals shaking up and down slightly.

_She's even wearing nail polish. Nice. _I note in my mind as I continue to approach.

As I continue to draw closer, I look towards the elder sister next. After the initial visual attraction, Remi's regal bearing wastes no time in appropriating my attention for herself. Of course, the Scarlet Devil is wearing scarlet; a gown that leaves her pale shoulders bare, yet emphasizes the slight curves she has, and it stands out all the more with her black wings. However, compared to her younger sibling, the material that makes up her clothing is more velvety, having a flowing liquid-like texture that contrasts Flan's ruffled-looking one. Completing the look are a pair of elbow-length gloves and blood-red shoes, while her blue hair is tied up behind her head in a formal manner that accentuates her clothes.

You got to admit... she does have style.

As for her maid... Sakuya's hairstyle is the exact same one, except the green ribbons at the end of the braids have been switched out for deep blue ones that go with her dress. While it is sleeveless like Remi's, there are portions that go around the lower part of her biceps (maybe I should look into what those styles are called... if I can remember...), but they have the added utility function of being sheaths for her knives, making it look slightly odd. She brushes one of her braids in a seemingly absent-looking motion, revealing the dark spot on the skin beneath it... a temporary souvenir from our snogging sessions. Overall, a simple look, but one that doesn't detract from her elegance in the slightest. I've come to associate her with knives enough to find that it fits her quite well.

The final member of the group is Koakuma, dressed only in a purple gown that is a shade darker than Patchy's usual outfit. Similar to Remi's, her gown is sleeveless. With her hair left the way it normally is- oh wait, there is a ruby hairclip, but it looks pretty much the same- she comes across as the type to wait at the sidelines for someone to ask her for a dance.

"Good evening, ladies." I greet, my voice soft in my nervousness.

Remi steps forward and extends her hand, a clear invitation for me to kiss it, and I accept. "Let's see how well you dance, shall we?" The mistress of the mansion asks with a hint of wickedness.

Koa snaps her fingers, triggering some hidden enchantment that plays music. Not surprising that Remi is the one to lead me out onto the dance floor and put me through the paces.

"Rather good for someone who has only practiced for a few days." She comments, "Relax a little. I'm not delicate."

"But you feel like it." I mutter in reply. "I can't help it."

Indeed, the small vampire feels fragile beneath my hands, from the small side of her body and her tiny hand in mine.

"Odd, you didn't seem to have any compunctions about handling my little sister roughly."

_That's because I was trying to keep her from accidentally murdering me; the other end of the spectrum, I would say. _"Okay then... mind if I lead?" I ask, determination filling my voice.

"Go ahead."

Tightening my grip slightly, my next steps become more sure, and I actually take the lead a little in our dance. For her part, Remi lets me take control, but I've no doubt she's grading my performance and won't hesitate to retake control should I fail to satisfy her expectations.

It's hard to get a read on the mistress. Her personality tends to be controlling, and for her to cede power to me goes against what I know of her. _She's testing me in other ways, I'm guessing. _As I twirl Remi through the steps, I spot Sakuya giving Meiling and Flan a last minute revision of the moves while Koa watches on.

"Strangely... I'm enjoying myself." I admit to Remi, shifting her around in my arms slightly to get into a better position.

"What's so strange about it?"

"I'm not usually one for dancing." _Step, step, twirl..._

She smiles at me, but doesn't say anything.

I nod. "Yeah, once in a while..." _I can enjoy it._

The music ends, and with it, our dance together. I plant a kiss on the back of her gloved hand, and lead her back to rejoin the group, where I trade partners.

I listen to my instincts and pick Koa next; if I danced with her after the rest, it would be likely that her aura might overpower mi-

Oh wait, I forgot that Patchy warded her. Meh, too late to change my mind anyway. And besides, she's a nice... girl.

Koa reminds me of... me, just earlier when I started dancing with Remi. I give her a few words of encouragement, bearing her mistakes without a complaint, and she eventually gets some confidence of her own. We started off on a friendly note, but by the time the next song finishes, the shy succubus is much warmer towards me, and even gives me a peck on the cheek to show her thanks.

_Makes me wonder why someone with her character is even a succubus in the first place. I suppose you get all types._

Next up is Flan, and Koa supplies a faster song for the little vampire and her adopted elder brother to dance along to. It's a bit hard to spin Flan around with her wings, since they are longer than the range of my arm, but we make up for it by doing a few moves that abuse her ability to fly. Her laughing grin is infectious, and I catch sight of Remi's approving expression as we spin around. We continue on for a second, slower song, and at the end, Flan pulls me down for a tender kiss on the lips.

"You looked like you were having fun." Meiling hands me a glass of something sweet-smelling.

"I was." We share a smile, like the ones I had with Komachi and the others.

Suddenly, the chain on my left wrist flashes with heat, too quickly to hurt, but an unmistakable corresponding sign to the spark that passed between me and the lively redhead.

Meiling blinks. "What was that?"

"Perhaps a sign that we should have our own dance?" I suggest jokingly. _I wanted to rest a bit more, but..._

"You're on!" She hooks her arm through mine and drags me out onto the dance floor. "But we dance my way."

_Oh shit. _I think to myself as she walks a short distance away from me, and turns to face me. _Let's see how this plays out._

We exchange bows like two people about to combat each other, left hand covering right fist in front of our chests.

"Don't damage your clothes." Remi reminds us, while Flan tries to decide who to root for.

"We won't."

"No matter how sexy we might look in damaged clothes."

Sakuya claps her hands once, and a slow melody starts to play. It's a sort of dance that we've done countless times before, but this is the first time we're doing so to music. Surprisingly, both of us are synchronized in our thinking, matching our movements to the speed of the music.

Slowly, slowly, but flowing, our hands move as though shaping the currents of the wind.

Our feet moves; a step, a second step, then the stance.

A sudden crescendo, and we push off.

Hand meets arm, shin gets diverted by thigh, elbow is deflected by the palm.

Strikes are aimed at openings, with no real force behind them. Blows that would have been fatal if they had landed in an actual combat setting.

I glimpse a smile that speaks of enjoyment on her expression as we continue to dance around each other, leading and being led.

Our pace slows as the chorus tapers off, but picks up once again for the next part of the song. Slow, fast, hyper, slow, fast... It's like we're being led by the music rather than anything else.

But eventually our dance comes to an end, when the music dies down and leaves us nearly nose to nose with each other, breathing hard with the exertion of controlling our motions. It's funny how her thigh pressed against my ribs and my hand caressing the side of her neck are not actions of passion, but critical strikes in everything but completion.

Our eyes meet again, and the spark crosses between us once more. Still panting, we step back and bow to each other again.

I spend the next twenty minutes or so cooling down and relaxing, feeding Flan sweets and chatting with the rest. But eventually Sakuya wants her turn, and signals me with her usual motions.

I wipe Flan's mouth with a tissue and stand up to walk over to the maid. "Lady Izayoi, would you do me the favor of having this dance with me?"

"Of course." Sakuya places her hand in mine, and lets me pull her out of her seat.

"Sorry for leaving you for last." I apologize as we start moving around on the floor.

"There has to be an order." Her tone is one of amused resignation.

Her body draws closer to mine, her hand drifting around to the back of my neck as the front of her chest brushes against mine. In response, my arm goes further around her waist, and we adjust our steps to compensate for the closeness.

"You know... Remi planned this with the intention of making me fall for you." _And Meiling. _I add in my mind.

"I'd say it's been a success." She murmurs back, making me twitch slightly.

"Since when were you this... passionate?" I ask curiously, feeling her legs brush against mine more than they should.

"How do you know I wasn't?" Sakuya counters.

"If I were more petty, I'd be jealous of your perfection."

"Sweet of you to say so." That marks the end of our dancing conversation.

Like with Flan, Sakuya kisses me on the lips after our dance, but hers promises something more later. It would have gone on a lot longer, but my 'dance' with Meiling went on even longer than expected, so I beg off after one last dance with Flan.

Remi catches me at the door and takes me outside for a talk. "So, have you sorted out your feelings yet?"

"Yep. I really needed that." On an impulse, I bend down and touch my lips to her cheek. "Thanks, Remi."

Her face looks a touch redder in the dim light. "You're welcome, Ikuto."

Before I go off, she sends Flan after me with the instructions to make her little sister turn in for the night. _Even though Flan doesn't normally sleep until really late... Well, _I glance at the chain with three blank chips on it, _I guess she's perceptive enough to notice these._

"Come on, Flan. Let's go get you ready for bed." I take the blond loli's hand and lead her down the stairs towards the subterranean levels where her room is located.

* * *

><p>(1) A shout-out to one of the biggest reasons for the delay putting out this chapter. As I've mentioned to some of those who are following this enough to message me asking me for the next update, take a look at my favorites list to see why.<p>

(2) As far as I can think of, the actual Japanese grammar does not allow for this sort of sentence structure. But since this is my story, let's just ignore it, shall we?

First, I have to state sorry and thanks to all those who've been following this fic. I've been distracted, yes, and I will continue to be so for quite a while. Still, I'm not going to be dropping this anytime soon, but I'll be taking a hiatus from this to work on Yukari's Errands (with a bit of work on the next X chapter on the side). Thanks for the support, I hope you all continue to provide me with it.

Moving on, most of you should have obviously guessed that one of the two groups in the beach chapter is from Fate/Stay Night, with Zel being Zelretch the Wizard Marshal, who is capable of traveling to alternate realities as well. The other group comes from the visual novel Seinarukana of the Spirit of Eternity Sword series from the game company XUSE, which deals with the 'other world' setting as well. Characters shown are Setoki Nozomu, Ikaruga Satsuki, Rehme, and super-powered sword-turned-girl Narukana.

Anyway, I suppose my pushing of Sakuya might come across as unbelievable, and I'm sure that most ballroom dance parties aren't so short, but I'll just attribute that to Remilia living in an isolationist setting within another isolationist setting. Hope you all like my (inadequate) description of their evening dresses, by the way.

I've noticed that when I write bit by bit over a long period, I tend to forget stuff, and the flow of the story becomes more than a little messy. That's one of the reasons why it's difficult writing with interruptions and distractions. Still, I'll continue to persevere.

Read & review, guys!


	48. Chapter 47X: The Little Devil

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	49. Chapter 48: The Deepening Changes

"...ow."

The first word out of my mouth is a short one, but a testament to the agony that is my body. It feels like every single part of my body is hypersensitive, compounded with the sensation of severe muscle strain.

_Just what was I doing last... oh. OH. _Realization hits me along with the excruciating pain between my legs. _God, it feels like it's actually been crushed, and with the nerves still fully functioning... and capable of transferring every bit of pain._

A innocent invitation into Flan's bed somehow turned into a strange scene. Apparently, Flan has a dark side, which practically demanded that I rape her, even going so far as to enthrall me with her eyes... the whole thing is hardly believable, if not for the fact that I actually went through with it.

_Managed to snap out of it, but she... SHE BIT ME!_

"You're alive."

"Sa...kuya...?" I groan out, on hearing the voice of my favorite maid.

"Hush, don't speak." She's doing something to me, but I'm not sure what.

I let her go about her business as I force my mind into thinking, trying to focus on something other than the pain in my body. _I don't feel any thirst for blood, but maybe that's too early to tell. Am I still human? Gaaaaah... owowowowow... Magic core... feels a bit bigger than I recall it to be. What did Flan DO to me?_

"How do you feel, Ikuto?"

I barely catch Sakuya's question. "Painful... what... happen...ed?" I mutter.

She says something that my mind doesn't catch at first.

"What?"

Sakuya repeats her words, and it finally sinks in.

Flandre did some kind of blood binding on me, not transforming me into a vampire thrall, but granting me some sort of ability boost, which is currently taking place in the form of painful alterations to my body's systems. To put it simply, I'm to Flan like Sakuya is to Remi. Further explanation reveals that I find myself more willing to accede to Flan's requests, which doesn't seem much different compared to what I already do, apart from controlling Flan's version of playing. Another way of describing it would be me having a magical contract with her, where I'm granted enhancements in my role as her servant.

_Still, I wonder about Flan's dark side... I've never seen _her_ before. Why did she pick last night to come out of all times?_

"Is he awake, Sakuya?"

_Remi? _"Yo... Remi..."

"I see you survived the full moon. I thought you were warned not to stay near Flan on those nights."

I look back through my memory the best I can through the pain; come to think of it, I do vaguely recall such a warning. Full moon stimulates youkai activity and all... gah, it totally slipped my mind after the dance party.

I finally manage to focus my vision, and direct it to where their voices came from.

Seems like I'm in bed, and barely dressed according to the standards of modesty. The last I recall, I was in Flandre's room, in the basement, but currently I'm in one of the rooms above the ground, as evidenced by the light coming through the window. I'm probably guessing that Sakuya retrieved and dressed me before putting me to... not a bed, I'm lying on a couch- and Remilia just came in to find me awake, and is now seated across the table drinking tea with one eye on me.

"So... who's she?" My voice fails to adopt the necessary tone to sound like a demand.

Remi makes no mention about my pitiful attempt to bully an answer out of her, but neither does she need to ask who I'm referring to.

"'She' is my little sister, Flandre Scarlet, in a... _different_ state of mind due to the influence of the full moon. Even so, she does not always reveal herself."

"Did you... plan this?"

"No." Her tone is frosty.

I blanch, realizing that I might have offended her by asking that question. "Sorry. So... what now?"

"Continue on as you were."

That makes me sit up suddenly, but the sudden movement sends hot agony lancing through my spine.

"Gggggrrrrh..."

"You shouldn't move around too much until your body has gotten used to the changes," advises Remi.

A cool hand rests on my back, and I look up to see Sakuya stroking my back comfortingly. _This feels kind of nice..._

"What sort of changes...?" I can finally speak without pausing, but it's still painful.

"You will have slightly better physical ability," Sakuya explains, "Enhanced senses, and that is at the base level."

"Base level?" I question.

Sakuya turns my head towards her, and looks me in the eyes. For a brief moment, her eyes flash red. "For a short period of time, it is possible for you to approach the true abilities of a vampire."

"Uh huh..." _Everything still hurts though..._

It seems that my unconscious desire to be alone for the moment was sensed by the pair, because Remi calls Sakuya away, telling me to just rest for the moment.

_So... I'm still human, I guess. But not entirely... how should I feel? I don't know... _I muse to myself in the gentle morning rays, finding it irritating only in the usual sense of heat and glare. _No urge to drink blood, no fear of sunlight... oh wait, can I fly now? That MIGHT be a good perk. Apart from that... I guess I'll just treat things the same way I usually do._

_Meh. _I pronounce my own brand of dealing with things, my personal 'Hakuna Matata'. (1)

Over the rest of the day, a whole host of people came by to visit. If I were any more dramatic, the whole place would have heard me scream out 'Noooooo!' when Patchy informed me that my increase in ability did not mean I would get the ability to fly. Needless to say, she was very clinical in telling me that I _still_ wouldn't be able to shoot enough bullets to put up a fight in danmaku. The more things change, the more they stay the same, or something like that. Apart from that, she seemed interested in trying to test out the changes in me. During my free time while recovering, I continue to work on the runic design since the pain wouldn't let me sleep comfortably, with the books Koa brought me.

Meiling came almost immediately once she got permission to leave her guard job, and spent quite a bit of time cuddling me like some big sister. I won't say I didn't enjoy getting a faceful of her chest, but there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.

I took a deep breath. _Mmm... earthy... _

"Good boy..." Meiling stroked my hair. "You have to be more careful with your body, you know."

"Mmf..."

"Kyaaa~" Her hold tightened, pressing me deeper into her bosom.

_So Meiling gets into moods like these? Wow..._

When Flan reappeared, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to see her, what with the memory of her dark side asking me to violate her petite body still fresh in my mind. It didn't help that the effect of our exchange left me with a compulsion to cater to her whims. But it appeared that she had no memory of it apart from the actual 'love-making', which left her feeling a bit tender and a lot more affectionate, quite like a kitten.

_This is just like being paranoid about Yukari manipulating the others to have feelings for me._

"Ufufufu~" Flan murmurs happily as I pet her head.

Most of the pain started to fade around lunchtime, but Sakuya came by to make sure I stay rested. She spent a good amount of time talking to me about the changes in my body, doing her best to reassure me as she watched me eat the lunch she delivered. Our relationship may have been warped thanks to Eirin's machinations, but that doesn't mean that we aren't connected only through physical contact.

"You know, I think you would make a good mother." I said, after she impulsively wiped my lips with a cloth.

"Wh-what?" My statement got me treated to the rare sight of Sakuya getting flustered.

But the thing is, it's not easy to follow up to that statement. "Ah, never mind, I said something stupid."

She didn't let it go, though. "Do you really think so? That I would be a good mother."

At that time, I suddenly started having a feeling that I was missing something, but I just nodded.

We spent some time making out afterwards. I really have to take her out on a date sometime...

Remi didn't come until late in the evening, having gone back to bed after explaining things to me in the morning, but through some _coincidental _twist of fate, Marisa, Yuuka, Nitori, Suwako, Reisen, and worst of all, Aya, came dropping in, somehow having been tipped off about my condition. Marisa chatted lightheartedly with me, then filched one of the books I was reading. Yuuka taunted and tormented me, taking advantage of the fact that I was in no shape to retaliate; she looked rather sexy with that blush on her face. Nitori and Reisen both fretted about me, and advised me to leave the Mansion. I really appreciate their concern; Nitori actually hinted that she would host me in her workshop. Suwako just laughed at me and repeated her invitation to stay at Moriya Shrine. She even tried to put her hat on me, but I demurred; that hat has that perpetual staring trick. Then there was Aya... _somebody _spread a rumor to her that I had partaken in a magic ritual that would bind me to the mansion, and she wanted to interview me about it. I deflected things as best as I could, and just passed myself off as an incompetent amateur who dabbled in a branch of magic he wasn't ready for. I can see Mokou coming by to drag me out of this place already.

But when Remi finally returns, it is to discuss something that I figured was a closed matter already. Turns out it wasn't, and that when Sakuya put a blanket over me, she made sure to tuck it in such a way that I was unable to escape beforehand.

"So... you bedded my little sister."

_Damn freaky glowing eyes. _"Uh... yes?"

"Did you enjoy forcing yourself on her?" Remilia asks ominously.

"Uhm, I didn't... really force myself on her..." I trail off weakly.

"Oh? Are you saying that Flan seduced you into having sex with her in _her own bed?_"

I stay silent. _Actually, yes, that IS what happened. But I'm not going to say that to her OWN BLOODY SISTER! _

"I see. So you don't deny your guilt?"

_Wait wait wait, that's just unfair. It's a Catch-22! _(2)

"Perhaps I should make it your fate to die in the most gruesome and horrible way possible to atone for your sin?"

I don't know how I did it, but I'm suddenly prostrated in front of Remilia, despite having started from a prone position perpendicular to the direction she was facing me.

"I'm very sorry." _But I refuse to beg for my life! BWAHAHAHA!_

Yep, I've clearly gone bonkers, to not fear death like this. Then again, I suppose it's because I've lived in the Netherworld, and talked a lot to Komachi. Dying just means I'll go see Shikieiki, get judged-

OH SHIT, SHE'LL JUDGE ME TO BE BLACK BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH FLANDRE! Then I'll get thrown into Hell instead of staying at Hakugyokurou with Youmu and Yuyuko!

"Hmph, I'll let you off this time. However, I expect you to treat my sister _with utmost caution_. If you ever hurt her..." Remilia leaves her sentence hanging.

"I'll treat her with absolute care and concern!"

"...somehow it's not as entertaining as I thought it would be." Remilia suddenly says, the threat in her voice totally gone.

"Huh?"

"Get up. I was only testing you."

"Oh." I feel oddly let down.

Despite my body no longer feeling like it's been run through a grater and sprinkled with lemon juice and salt, it's a struggle getting back onto the couch with it feeling like it's made of lead. Once I'm settled (without Remilia's help), the mistress of the mansion begins adding some new rules to my duties.

"I don't have anything against you and Flan being together. However, I expect you to continue to act in your duties to her as her personal servant. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Remilia."

Thankfully, that's the end of the matter between us. On the other hand...

"Ikuto..." Her maid has me backed up against the bed in my room, after 'escorting' me back there. "Now that we won't be interrupted, I'd like you to tell me just what were you up to with Flan-ojousama." The silver knives in her hand glitter dangerously.

_She waited until now to confront me? Oh crap... _"Uhm... I... didn't really have any choice?"

"Oh?" Her blue eyes turn red... and stay red.

_Wrong answer? _"I... forgot about the full moon?"

The slowly rising blades pause, then go back down. "I see. It was her, wasn't it?"

"Wait, weren't you around to hear when I asked Lady Remilia about her?" I ask, confused.

The knives vanish from her hand. "I'm assuming you didn't notice that I had left, given your condition this morning. No, I wasn't around, and yes, I know about Flan-ojousama's other side."

I look at her blue eyes beseechingly. "How do I deal with... with her?"

Sakuya's troubled expression doesn't reassure me in the least, nor does her confession, "I have no idea either."

Just before I fall into sleep, I take note of the design that had appeared on one of the blank chips. It doesn't register at first, but I eventually realize that the black heart-shaped mark is a representation of the end of Flan's Laevatein wand.

* * *

><p><em>"But it's only every full moon, isn't it?"<em>

_I stare at Komachi for a few moments, then start knocking my head against the table. "Stupid, dumbass, idiot, how could I, forget that..."_

_It doesn't exactly help me feel better hearing her laugh at me._

_"Your reactions never fail to be interesting, Ikuto." Iku points out, her lips twitching in an effort to refuse breaking out into a smile._

...I'd react by throwing a tantrum about how everyone seems to enjoy teasing me, but that would only prove her right. How should I... _"As do yours when I..." I lean over and whisper into her ear._

_Iku turns a shade of red to match her clothes, but she doesn't shy away._

Ahhh~ so cute~ _I smirk as I straighten up and continue on as though the interruption never happened, "Still, I'm seriously thinking that I've been there a bit too long. I should start looking for the next place to move to soon."_

_Iku and Komachi both stare at me._

_"What?" I say defensively, "I do have an arrangement with Yukari, you know."_

_"Riiiight."_

_"What's with that disbelieving tone of voice..."_

_We banter around for a while longer before returning to more important matters. Namely, what I went through._

_"So you'll not only become stronger, but you can power up even further? Sounds like some pretty cool ability."_

_"Have you been reading the tengus' manga or something?"_

_Iku breaks in at that point. "Ikuto, do not change the subject."_

_"Oh, right."_

_"And please stop it with your self-hating."_

_My head thunks into the table again. "That obvious?" I mumble._

_"Totally." Komachi chuckles._

_"You accepted us despite us being non-human to your human. How could we not accept you just because you change a little?"_

_"I think it's a matter of self-acceptance, actually."_

_"But you aren't a vampire. You said so yourself." Komachi pokes me with a finger. "What matters is the inside, remember?"_

_"Mmm..." _

_Actually, is there even a point in wanting to stay human? I figured it would be a part of my identity, but now it feels like it doesn't even matter. _

Human or not, I'm still myself... I guess? Well, that's another thing new I've learned about myself.

_"Okay, you're right."_

_"Was that so hard to say?"_

_"Only when I know you're going to make fun of me for it." I say flatly. "Oh yeah, Iku. Where's Tenshi? I thought she would come bother me, but I haven't really been seeing her around."_

_"The little oni has been coming up to party with the Celestials, so I believe her attention has been occupied. However, I have noticed that the oni sneaks away at certain points in time, leaving the Eldest Daughter to search around for fear of the havoc that _might_ happen." Iku explains, giving me a meaningful look to let me know that she's aware of what Suika sneaks away to do._

_"Well, that's a pretty good prank, I must say." I deflect with all the innocence I can muster. "The next time I see Suika, I might just thank her for the help."_

_"That thanks wouldn't happen to be purely physical in nature, would it?" Komachi teases._

_"It might." I waggle my eyebrows suggestively._

_"Then maybe I should... _inspect_ the quality of it first."_

_"I believe that to be a good idea too." Iku agrees, looking at me intently._

_Thanks to the turn of events, I discover that the change Flan instilled in me not only grants me increased stamina, but a longer staying time in my spirit form, to Komachi's and Iku's delight._

* * *

><p>I roll out of bed and bounce on my feet experimentally. Then I throw a few shadow punches and kicks, almost amazed at how easy movement seemed.<p>

"I was going to ask how you feel," Sakuya's voice speaks from behind me, "But it appears that I have no need to worry."

"This feels like I'm on one of Eirin's energy drugs!" The words come out in a rush. "Oh, and thanks for your concern!"

"How would you know the effect of Eirin's energy drugs?"

"By taking them of course! Not that I did so on purpose, mind you, but never mind that! I need to change and see Patchy now!"

Before Sakuya realizes what my hyperactive self is about to do, I dart over to her, sweep her off her feet in an embrace, and kiss the heck out of her. Then I carry her out of the room and leave her standing there shell-shocked while I change.

Patchy and Koa weren't as surprised to see my newfound liveliness. I stare at them for a good few minutes trying to figure out how they expected it, before hitting on the answer.

"Observation spells." I smack a fist into the palm of my hand in realization. "And she told you," I turn to Koa to say.

"Very astute." Patchy compliments me. "If you're done?"

"Oh, right."

The effect of my change is evident instantly; my attempt to light a fire with a snap of my fingers results in a large gout of flame that scorches the table two meters past the candle I was aiming for. As for the candle, it melted into a puddle of wax after that flash blast.

"Well, that was... much more than I expected."

Patchy sighs. "You're not allowed to practice outside of a ward from now on."

"Makes sense. But normal studying is fine, right?"

Patchy just shakes her head and encloses me in a safety area with a few gestures and muttered words. Just as I'm about to start working on controlling my newfound power, she hits me in the head with a metal disk to get my attention.

"I can tell you want to cut loose. Don't."

She punctuates her comment with a giant buzz saw spinning in the air above her finger, a clear threat to bisect me if I don't obey.

I stare at the spinning disc, then around at the ward I'm in. _She didn't just make sure the flame couldn't get out, she included me too._

"You know... maybe I should try some meditation first..." I say to nobody in particular, and sit on the floor to do so.

"No. Keep your Ki out of this." Patchy stops me right away.

I sigh. "Fine." _Don't whine... don't whine..._

Unfortunately, to my disappointment, the increased power proves too much for me to control. I melt twenty candles in a row, only managing to reduce the extent of melting by half at the most.

_So much for being the next Roy Mustang. _(3) I think to myself as I settle down at a table with three thick tomes on the effects of runic symbols next to me. _But let's get away from that problem for a moment, and work on this. _

I already had the idea to make what I wanted, keeping in mind the rule about starting small and simple. The effect I wanted to achieve is to get wind to aid in my movements, so now I just have to work on the method.

Easier said than done. I know my abilities, and I can say that I'm not really that good at working out solutions to problems. But I'll try. Oh yes, I'll try and try and try.

I sketch a rough idea out; the basic gist has to be something I can utilize easily, so the best medium for the magic would be something that stays with me most of the time, like jewelry... or my body. I ask Koa for some books on magic that involves the body, and get another heavy book that explains the most basic concepts of it.

It's mind-boggling how many factors magic can involve. If there's a system... chaos would be the best way to describe it. Assume the Harry Potter way of casting a spell; the wand movements, the incantations, the intent, the target, not only do each of these play a part in the overall effect, but throw in the connections between them... Something between the caster and the target would mean failure to achieve the desired effect, even if the spell manages to reach the target, because the obstruction has caused the spell's efficiency to alter slightly. Thus it can be said that the effect was not achieved.

I run my hands through my hair in frustration. Now I have to think up a way to achieve the effect of implanting the piece of magic into my body. Instead of one problem, I now have two, and they are interconnected. Certain components for either part just won't work for the other, so...

_Categorization, then. If I find out which parts fall into the category of both, then I'll at least know what I have to work with. _Shifting aside the paper in front of me, I grab a new sheet and open the two books side by side.

I take a short break to have lunch with Meiling and Sakuya under a tree outside, chatting about the weather and the impending season of autumn, then moving on to other topics after we're done eating; Sakuya heads back in to deal with the fairy maids while I let the food digest. In the meantime, I alternate between watching Meiling care for the plants in the garden, and just watching the fairies and assorted youkais as they fly around the sky, including the occasional tengu leaving Youkai Mountain on some news material collection trip.

Once the food is done digesting, my training with Meiling for the day starts. She notices the difference almost immediately when we start sparring, and it shows on her face.

"Whoa." We both say at the same time.

"How do you feel?"

I perform a few of the katas. "Apart from being faster, everything seems to come much easier, as though my efficiency went up."

"Anything else?"

I turn to face Meiling, who's smirking at me. "There's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

"The usual it is!"

Meiling executes a quick spin, kicking up a cloud of dust that settles to reveal a line in the ground behind her. Her center of gravity lowers and her hands lift up into a defensive stance, a position for one of our usual sparring practices: I will attempt to break through head-on, while she attempts to defend against me... by any means possible.

While I've never managed to pass her without using any tricks, I only attempt to use said tricks when I'm feeling really frustrated. But any other time, I stick strictly to fighting fairly.

"Here I come!" I kick off, dashing straight towards her.

I feint a punch, then switch to a kick. The redhead's eyes narrow, but she blocks it.

_Woah, I noticed that... she reacted slower than before. _I try a series of punches next, infusing each one of them with Green and Indigo Ki.

Meiling doesn't block them, but dodges and parries instead, before sliding under my guard for a knockback strike.

I instantly spin out of the way, leaving her to hit empty air. _Yep, I'm definitely reacting faster for sure. _This time I go in with a slicing kick.

She calmly intercepts it with a foot of her own, but I take advantage of our brief moment of contact to manipulate her limb with mine, twisting my ankle around to hook the back of hers, and pulling. Meiling doesn't bat an eye when I draw her out into a split, but abandons her support leg on the ground for hands instead, using the change in position to pull her ankle free.

I utilize the slight pull to bring my leg back down, twisting my body into a follow-up move where I kick off my new pivot, and bringing my other leg up and around for a heel drop.

Meiling avoids it in a swirl of red and green, then kicks that attacking leg, and my weight on it, off-balance from its landing point with a simple step-in using her weight. If not for me reinforcing the leg with Orange Ki, my leg would be bruised and crippled in ability for the rest of the spar. As it is, she doesn't let up, but releases a burst of Ki at my position.

I roll out of the way, letting the energy smash into the place where I was, and come back up to a ready stance.

Still not giving any quarter, she's already in my face, flicking a palm filled with grim intent towards my face.

_Parry upwards, deflect the other to the side, jump up to avoid the sweep, throw body into a spin so the Ki blasts miss, crouch to avoid the roundhouse aimed at the head, roll forward away from the downward punch. _I grin even as I continue to avoid Meiling's relentless attacks. _I actually have the allowance to think about my moves this time rather than relying on insti-_

Her palms hit me in the chest and send me hurtling far through the air in a giant burst of green Ki. I got carried away and let myself get distracted by my thoughts. Damn it.

Still in midair, I twist around so that I don't hit the water over my body... then I recall my ring. A quick thought activates its ability, and my momentum cuts down to a slow fall. I'm still headed for the water though.

_Hmm... let's try this. _I contort my body and reach down with my left hand, waiting to come into range with the water. The moment my fingers make contact, I let the energy flow out from the ring, freezing the water into a sufficiently thick platform of ice for me to settle upon.

"You okay?" Meiling calls out to me.

"Yeah!" I shout back, and look around.

The distance from the shore is a bit far, and I'm not that close to the bridge either. Maybe I should try jumping... I channel Ki into my legs, and release it in one burst!

Instead of reaching the shore like I imagined, I get a reminder of Newton's Third Law of Motion. The ice I was on wasn't anchored to anything, but freely floating in the lake. Thus, when I exerted a great deal of force at an angle in order to jump to shore, the platform has to tilt slightly, which causes water to splash over the top of it, including the place where I'm planting my feet. Due to water acting as a lubricant in that short instant and my carelessness in assuming I could deal with the slipperiness of ice with the balance I trained myself to have...

Meiling advises me to go in and change after I finally return to where she is, soaking wet. She remarks that I was going to need training to get used to my new abilities, but congratulates me on actually improving in my movements.

How can I not smile when she's so honestly happy for me?

Once I'm done washing up, it's time to help prepare dinner. I settle for a heavy meal, playing it safe just in case my altered body needed more nutrition. Since it's my turn on the roster today, I change into my butler uniform (which I brought down to the kitchen for that purpose), and serve the meal to those who came to the dinner table.

It's very embarrassing to have everyone look at you because of your growling stomach when you're supposed to be the server.

"Go ahead and eat, Ikuto."

I bow to her thankfully. "I apologize, Lady Remilia."

Sakuya takes care of the washing up, so I head back to Patchy's library to resume my work.

_Odd, I haven't seen Flan at all today. _I glance around once more before taking my seat and continuing my work.

The final list I come up with has over a hundred different runes, but not all of them are simple wind runes. There are stabilizing runes, control runes, even runes that have no other purpose but to fill the holes, to uphold the overall structures. I moved on to categorizing them under their respective uses, which only took a short while. Then finally, I work on creating a list of known and acceptable interactions. But just how do they interact? Why do they interact? Do they fit together like puzzle pieces-

I blink. _Maybe... I could treat it as a matter of perception? Let's say, this part, and this part, they look like this... then this other one... I'm not too sure, but there's a part that looks like this, so it can fit together with parts that have this... like these ones here... _

"Ikuto. Ikuto!"

"Ha!" I jerk upright and look around before finally spotting Sakuya standing at my side, looking at me amusedly. "Oh, Sakuya. What is- Oh, fruits?" I say, noticing the platter in her hands.

"They are healthy for you."

I smile thankfully. "Thanks, I forgot how much I loved to eat fruits for dessert. Want to share them?"

"They're for you."

"I insist."

Sakuya seems to recognize how set I am on sharing the fruits with her, so she pulls up a chair of her own next to mine. It's been a long time since I actually focused on her, so I fix my eyes on her blue eyes as I bite into an apple. I can see how she takes good care of her appearance despite her role as a maid; her dark silver hair is never out of place outside of combat, her blue dress and apron barely wrinkle, and despite all the cooking and laundry she does, her hands remain immaculately smooth.

_Beautiful in her normal life, and as I can testify, shining brilliantly in battle. _I shake my head slightly and pick up another piece of apple.

"Is there something- Hh!" I cut Sakuya off by gently slipping the fruit into her mouth mid-sentence. She chews and swallows before glaring at me. "Explain yourself."

"Well, I was thinking that your lips looked really enticing just then, so I..."

A faint blush colors Sakuya's cheeks. "Are you flirting with me?" The maid demands.

I pause to consider my answer. "Maybe, but I meant what I said. I really do think your lips..." I lean closer, lowering my voice as I do, "Are delicious-looking."

"You..." She doesn't back away, so I take the chance...

And press my lips against hers.

Well, I know that I've made out with Sakuya many times before, but this time at least, there's something other than just lust. My hands don't roam like before, but stay within safe areas like her hand and her cheek. And there is a difference. There's a heat beneath the taste of apple, a small but strong one that has the potential to outstrip everything that came before.

I finally pull away slightly, opening my eyes at the same time Sakuya does hers. We're both breathing heavily, and I can tell she's thinking off continuing, but I hold back, only allowing myself a slight brush of her cheek with my thumb.

"...why?"

"Because you're worth more than that." I tell her simply, leaning back in my chair and popping another piece of fruit into my mouth.

"Ikuto..."

_I wonder if this is a result of the change too? Normally I'd be jumping at the chance to have sex with someone like Sakuya, but now... _I search my emotions, then smirk. _Nope, I'm just acting contrary... as usual._

"Why are you smiling?" She asks suspiciously.

"Ah, no, I was just thinking of asking you if you'd like to visit the village with me. Just you and me." _...is this the first time I asked a girl out on a date? Should I be happy that I finally did it or sad that it took me this long to do so? Whatever._

"I will consider it." Sakuya pushes her chair back and stands up. "I have work to do."

She takes the empty platter and leaves, but I notice the blush still remains on her face.

I wait for a short while before turning to look in the opposite direction. "Enjoyed the show, Koa?"

Koakuma peeps out from behind one of the bookshelves, blushing and stuttering. "I-I didn't mean to peep or a-a-anything."

I smirk teasingly. "But I'm sure you enjoyed it anyway."

"Ikuto-san!" She protests.

I hold up my hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry."

"Still, how did you know I was present?"

I glance downward meaningfully. "Maybe it's part of the change, but I think I've grown more sensitive to changes in... aura? But at the same time, my resistance seems to be better."

"Ahaha..." Koa laughs sheepishly.

"You don't like your... seductive aura, I take it."

The succubus shakes her head. "I don't hate it, but only because it's a part of me."

"I think I can understand that feeling." I glance at the table nearby. "Do you want to talk?"

"Will you be okay?"

I nod, and she approaches carefully, taking her seat when she's sure that I'm not going to lose control. We begin talking about ourselves more in depth; I about my life before coming, her about her life after summoning. We share a chuckle over how the respective discussed parts of our lives happen to be similar in many ways, solitude and books being the biggest ones of them.

_Neither of us pity ourselves... and that's the way we like it. _"It's fun reading, isn't it?"

"You've asked me that many times before." Before I can apologize, Koa grins. "But yes."

We talk for another few more minutes before she suddenly perks up and looks around.

"What's the matter?"

"Patchouli-sama is calling me. Excuse me."

She's nearly invisible in the shadows of the bookshelves when I suddenly blurt out a question that I had on my mind. "Have you... ever thought of being in love?"

Koa turns and stares at me for a good amount of time. "I've... _considered_ it, at least."

Knowing how personal that question was, I thank her for sharing that bit of information with me, and watch her disappear away. _When she said she considered it... did she mean she thought about it, or did she mean she considered whether it was possible for her? I don't know..._

Sighing, I turn back to my work on the desk and start looking through the runes again. Really, it's so interesting how looking at their effects and combinations give me the inspiration to create a sort of interlocking diagram code for them. Maybe I have some kind of talent for runes...

_...why the heck did I just think of Sudoku? No way in hell that my ability to figure this out comes from that! If that's so... _I grin as the scenario forms in my mind. _I could ask Remi if she could do this as well? Nah... she'd probably give me that look that says I must be the lowest form of life on Earth to even consider bringing up that matter with her._

The rest of my night goes by smoothly and successfully for me, with the occasional 'I see now!', 'How could I have missed _that_!', and the surprisingly rare 'Oh damn! I made a mistake, gotta go back and correct it'.

Inside Patchy's library, there is very little natural daylight coming in, and most of the lighting is provided by the giant magical lamps hanging from the ceiling, or the crystals that serve as desk lamps. So when I finally felt the urge to turn in to bed, I make the discovery that I had worked all the way from after dinner till dawn the next day, courtesy of the brightening blue outside the window opposite the entrance to the library. As I'm heading upstairs, wondering just how interesting runes could be to keep me engrossed this long, along comes Sakuya to give me the answer.

"Ikuto, I didn't expect you to-" Hearing her voice from behind, I turn to look at her, only for her to stop speaking. "Your eyes, they're red."

"They have to be, if I was staying up all this while."

"No, I mean the pupils."

I stare at her confusedly.

She closes her eyes, sighing. Then her aura changes slightly and she opens them again to show me the red eyes I see on her when she's immersed in the heat of battle. "Like these."

I continue to stare at her.

"Ikuto?"

"I don't feel any different."

Sakuya returns my stare for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. "And here I thought you mastered it... it might be a good idea for you to go to sleep. Staying too long in that state may be detrimental to your health."

I nod. "You know more about this than I do. Good night. Or morning, if you prefer."

Sakuya smiles briefly, making a shooing motion with her hand.

_So I'm in that vampire mode, huh? Can't really call it vampire mode if I don't feel like sucking blood. But this is seriously unreal... I activated it because I was caught up studying? Of all the times for it to activate... _I reach my room and open the door. _Guess I'll wipe myself down instead of taking a full shower- Woah! Why is Flan in my room?_

For a moment, I'm hard pressed to choose between joining her in there and leaving for another room. But it seems that the bond affects me strongly in my current condition, and I feel a pull towards the little vampire.

_Man, it feels _REALLY _uncomfortable to try and resist. _

Before I can stop myself, I'm in the bed with the sleeping loli, and as though she senses me, Flan wriggles around to latch onto my side, and I feel an indescribable sense of peace.

_Huh, why do I feel like a servant who had just completed some sort of task for his master? Or should it be mistress?_

Next to me, Flan murmurs. "Fuga..."

_And why do I feel like some kind of reference had just been made? _(4) With that thought in mind, I finally fall off to sleep as the sun starts to rise.

...

"Aww~ how cute..."

I crack open one eye to see Meiling smiling down at me... then I realize I happen to be cuddling up to Flan.

"Meiling? Ah crap, I missed our training, didn't I?" I murmur, not wanting to rouse the other girl.

"I'm sure it's okay to miss it this once..."

We both fall quiet, and it stretches on and on, interrupted only by the sound of Flan's sleepy murmurs.

"So, Nee-san, how long are you going to keep staring at me?"

The redhead's smile takes on a touch of amusement. "Should I stop?"

"You know what? Just do what you want." _I'm sure I can learn to ignore her staring..._

Instead, I get an unexpected surprise when she lifts up the cover to join us in bed. _...I see now, that smile wasn't entirely that of an elder sister looking on indulgently. Part of it was filled with envy at the sight of us sleeping so comfortably._

"Don't mind if I do~"

I raise a questioning eyebrow as she cuddles up to us, behind Flan. _Meh... it's not like she isn't relaxing to be around... _I close my eyes again, feeling a strong and firm arm rest itself across mine, putting Flan under our overlapping arms. _Father, mother and child in the same bed... if this is how it feels, then I have to say it's pretty nice._

* * *

><p>I strain hard, trying to focus on my body's state. "Anything yet?" I grunt.<p>

Sakuya shakes her head, her braids swinging slightly. "No."

Nearby, Flan uses one of the short wooden rods I use for my weapons training to poke the pincushion that is Meiling, trying to elicit a reaction from the gate guard who left her post in the middle of her job.

After Meiling joined us in bed, it wasn't until noon that Sakuya came looking for me and found us. Surprisingly, Sakuya gave Meiling one chance to explain herself. Too bad for her the excuse 'They looked so comfortable I couldn't help but join them' didn't go over so well.

I glance over at the slumped figure, wondering if she twitched earlier. _Really, does Sakuya actually use real knives or are those danmaku bullets that just haven't dissipated yet? I know for a fact that I wouldn't survive two knives in those places... _

And now, Sakuya is trying to train me to master the 'Awakening' ability, as I've started calling it. Unfortunately, I've been trying for the past hour to no avail; the way she simply turns it on and off with hardly any effort is starting to make me feel a little jealous by now.

_Okay, time to try thinking about it from another way._

"What's wrong? Why are you stopping?"

"I don't think this is the way I'm supposed to do it..." I hold up a hand to stop her from interrupting. "Hear me out. Last night, I activated it without even focusing on myself. Maybe I triggered it through something I did then."

Sakuya looks faintly annoyed, but nods. "In that case, what do you propose doing?"

I start counting off my fingers. "The only thing I can clearly recall doing was sorting out the various runes for my magic project. I didn't even use any active magic during that time."

"I'm not really sure that getting engrossed in your studies was the act responsible for it..."

"I think the same way." I agree.

In the end, we decide to just come back to it later, after I'm finished with my work on the runes, and Sakuya leaves the room with Flan bouncing after her in one of her playful moods, leaving me alone with Meiling. I look once more at the poor redhead, and sigh before getting to work on fixing her up, although the most I can do is to gently extract each knife from the body.

_Yep, none of these have blood on them despite the depth they entered. _I watch the 'knife' clatter on the floor for a moment where I throw it before it disappears. _Danmaku bullets. How did she get them to retain their form for so long after they've impacted?_

"Ouch..." Meiling moans as I finally pull the last one out.

"She really doesn't hold back on you, does she?"

"Ehehe..." The redhead laughs sheepishly, but she doesn't get up.

I shrug and sit down next to her, leaning against the wall. "Say, you're no slouch when it comes to danmaku, so why do you let her beat you up like that?" _Not to mention that as a youkai, Meiling is fundamentally stronger than Sakuya. Unless Sakuya isn't entirely human._

"Easy. Because I let her." Meiling's faint smile shows her nostalgia.

I blink. _Not entirely unexpected... but... _"Why?"

"...I forgot exactly why."

I stay silent, not wanting to press her.

"She wasn't so confident before... but Lady Remilia still insisted that Sakuya be her maid..." She trails off.

I reach up and pat her head appreciatively. "You're an amazing older sister, Meiling-neesan. Super amazing."

"You're such a flatterer, Ikuto..."

"I think you're selling yourself short. Sakuya needs you more than you think."

"Sakuya needs me? That's..." Meiling blushes deeply. "It's nice to hear that..."

The realization hits me suddenly, making me bolt to my feet. I barely hear Meiling asking me what's wrong; my thoughts are already following that line of thought far away. _Need... is that the thing that's involved? The bond... it activates... when Flan needs me._

I can see how that works; Sakuya, despite whatever relationships she may have, is first and foremost Remi's maid. She acts for Remi in a deep way that I can barely imagine, so if she normally Awakens in the course of her duties to Remi, then I can see why she herself isn't actually conscious of the reason. As for me, I didn't notice I Awakened last night because I was engrossed in my work, but Flan must have been calling for me when she snuck into my bed, and my body responded.

I feel a prodding in the back of my legs. "Ikuto!" Meiling calls me for the umpteenth time.

I turn to meet her worried expression with an excited one. "I think I figured it out!"

"Figured what out?" She repeats, confused.

"The trick to Awakening!"

"You did? Show me then!" Meiling's infected by my excitement.

I freeze. _It was just a theory... and I don't even know how to put myself in a state where I can convince myself that Flan needs me. _"Errr... actually, I just thought of it. I'm not sure I can put it into practice."

"...that's a bit of a letdown." She comments. "But don't worry," Meiling slaps my back encouragingly, "I'm sure you'll be able to do it eventually. I believe in you, Ikuto."

"Thanks, Nee-san." I counter by teasing her again.

We share that moment of laughter with hardly any worry in the world.

After a quick lunch I made for myself, I return to the library to resume my work once more, and find Patchy looking through my notes with what appears to be slight approval.

"Interesting insight. Perhaps you have a talent for this."

"Thanks. I managed to finish assigning a particular shape to most of them, so I should be able to start trying to arrange them into a proper design by dinner at the latest."

Patchy flips through the pages once more, then hands the stack to me. "Continue on, then."

I practically dive back into the work, my quill flashing across the paper as I let my instinct take over in identifying the runes' effects. Patchy's compendium of runes sees lots of references as I'm forced to look into some of those I previously excluded for being unrelated to my needs, in order to get the answers I need.

More than once, I feel tempted to give up when I'm faced with the magnitude of the task before me, especially when I realize that some of the excluded ones could have been included to alter and control the power flow.

_I wonder if this is how Tony Stark feels when he built the Iron Man suit? _I muse as my eyes dart around the gradually growing pile of papers in front of me. _The wind effect I wanted to create was meant to assist my movements, inside and outside of combat, with the latter being similar to the way the Iron Man suit achieves flight. But now, _I switch out my current sheet for a new piece of paper, and re-ink my quill, _it feels like I'm crafting the blueprints for what amounts to a full body suit... Naaaah~ _With a flick of my wrist, I send the quill into the inkpot and lean back to stretch my body. _Don't have an Arc Reactor anyway._

In the end, I settle for keeping things simple; anything too complex would drain my magic core rapidly and leave me dead. I need to economize my energy for long periods of travel, so... the best two ideas are either a single circle design or a ring that goes around the wrists or ankles. The former would have better control due to its more tightly focused arrangement, enabling widespread or narrow release, while the latter would generate more power.

_That settles it. Circles on the arms, rings on the legs, since they can take the strain required. _I decided, putting aside the final piece of paper. _Okay! Time to start constructing!_ _Times like this, I REALLY wish I had that high-tech display thing Tony Stark had, just move your hands and the system will detect, et cetera, et cetera. This is gonna be a looooong tedious job..._

Especially when I have more than four sheets of paper to consult.

It soon becomes clear to me that my insight into the workings does not carry over into the construction making; the pile of failed and discarded designs grow steadily over the hours, as do the ones that I put aside temporarily.

"Working on three different designs simultaneously will only serve to lower your overall efficiency." Patchy's voice jars me out of my concentration.

"Something about interference between memories of related subjects, I suppose?" I ask tiredly.

"Actually, no. Dividing your attention is likely to result in missed details. Do you know what time it is?"

"Not really. Sometime near dinner?"

"Slightly past that."

"I missed dinner?" I ask, shocked.

"You did." Patchy confirms. "I believe Sakuya has kept some food for you. Go and eat."

Nodding, I take my leave, and make my way down to the kitchens where the maid proceeds to scold me for not being there for meals before grudgingly allowing me to feed. My way back is interrupted by Flan, who persuades me into playing with her. Remi then orders me to play a game of chess with her, and proceeds to trash me soundly. By the time I return to the library, it's nearly time for me to sleep, as Sakuya reminds me rather pointedly outside the doors.

Curiously, I find some notes on the desk detailing certain workable combinations that would cut the time needed greatly. I glance through them and make a few marks to remind myself to try out a few of the ideas, then put the notes away into neat piles for next time.

_Thanks, Patchy. _Yawning, I head back to my room, where I find Flan asleep in my bed again. _I hope this doesn't get into a habit... _

Smiling to myself, I get into bed and hold the small girl from behind gently. I fall asleep hearing Flan's happy mumbling in my ears, and hoping for happy dreams.

* * *

><p>(1) A Swahili phrase that means 'No worries'. Taken from the Lion King.<p>

(2) The original term is a title of a novel which deals with a logical problem where the solution simply leads back to the problem: 'You can only get out of combat duty if you're crazy. But anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy'. In Ikuto's case, he uses it to describe a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't', which isn't really the right situation.

(3) The Flame Alchemist from Fullmetal Alchemist, Roy Mustang's signature attack is reliant on a snap of his fingers, which creates an igniting spark thanks to the material of his gloves, and sets fire to the hydrogen-oxygen mix he alchemizes from the air itself.

(4) Guess which series this reference came from. It's a clue to Ikuto's Awakening.

Shorter than my past few chapters, but I think this is alright. As long as the story flow is good. There's no point to trying to end every chapter with a sort of cliffhanger all the time.

After such a long period of not writing, I did have my concerns as to whether my writing skills had deteriorated or not, and if it had, whether I could even tell or not. Because this is one of the very few chapters I went through without finding much to change in it.

So Ikuto now has a power that he can't control yet, and his attempts to do so aren't really working. Overall, he has gotten stronger, but this story was and always will be about a guy who is unable to fight on the same stage as the rest of the Touhou girls, therefore no flight or danmaku. Ever. (Although technically, he can shoot bullets with Wavebreaker... and some of the future Keyblades)

Speaking of Keyblades, I finally have a solid image for Flandre's one. Too bad it'll be another few chapters before you all get to read my description of it. So that's Iku's and Flan's done already... just a matter of the rest.

Anyway, I'll be alternating my work on this story and the recent one I just put out. Like Patchouli pointed out, trying to multitask isn't really good to your work on the whole. So just read and review.


	50. Chapter 49: Fruits of Effort

**2 weeks since my last update. Not too bad an improvement from last time.**

* * *

><p>My hands move steadily across the paper, drawing symbols onto its surface, and giving form to the runic structure that would eventually go onto my body. Despite the fact that this was only a design, I'm focusing extremely hard on ensuring that every single stroke goes where it should be, as the slightest error could result in unwanted effects. Next to me is a long list of the places where I've made errors before, keeping track of them would help me know which parts to be careful at, and on the other side of me is a small pile of papers all filled with repeated runes, a testament to the practice I put into this so far.<p>

I completed the final layout just two hours ago, and I immediately started working on my current project. Of course, the one who would be doing the task of tattooing the design into my body isn't me, but according to my studies, having a clear mental image of the runic array would increase the link between it and me, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness of the runes.

The ones on the palms is made up of eighty-eight runes in five concentric rings, with the size of the runes making up each ring shrinking in size the closer the ring is to the center; the smallest runes are approximately one millimeter in length, barely visible to the naked eye. The outer rings convert the magic I run through them into energy with the affinity for wood, or wind, and the next set directs the energy into a spin, an effect that is beneficial to gathering and thus increasing the overall conversion efficiency. The next two rings help to regulate or dissipate the flow according to my needs so I can control the output, or else I'd be shooting everywhere at full speed, and be more likely to collide into things at breakneck velocity. As for the smallest ring, that one is the spark plug, to ignite the collected energy in the right direction, and the one that requires the most attention to detail.

The ones that go around my ankles are pretty similar; magic conversion, energy focus and directing, but less emphasis on energy dissipation in exchange for stabilizing runes to balance my body against the output. Legs for the hard power, hands for the softer, finer control.

Patchy approved the design when I brought it to her, after multiple revisions from previous rejected attempts. Since I was going to have the thing tattooed onto my body, the ink that made up the tattoo had to have something in common... and the best medium was of course, blood. So the library was locked to Flan while I bled myself into a bowl that Koa would use to make up the ink, which would contain certain herbs and crystals that I had no idea of.

_Still, it takes a lot of trust to let someone else do the tattooing, even though I know that it's impossible for me to do the job by myself. _I try to imagine using my left hand to tattoo my right, and shudder at how much propensity it had for going wrong. _That, and there's no way for me to do any simulation testing. I'm taking a HUGE risk here by trying it out with less than half a year's worth of studying runes. Least I could do is try to lessen it somehow in whatever way I can._

"Ikuto, you should take a break."

I jump slightly when I hear Sakuya's voice, and give her a pained look. "You gave me a shock... again."

The maid smiles. "That just shows you need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

I raise an eyebrow at her, and her smile widens slightly.

After all, we both know very well there's no way to detect her sneaking up on me when she does it in a time-stopped world.

I return her smile and push my seat back from the table. "Alright then, I guess I'll go spend some time with Meiling. No, I'm not going to train," I add hastily, seeing her change in expression, "I'm just going to talk, nothing more."

"Make sure you do that."

I nod, putting away my notes while disposing of the trash into the respective bin.

Just as I'm leaving, Sakuya stops me. "Ikuto."

"Yes?"

"I accept your invitation to visit the village." Her cheeks color slightly. "Will this evening be okay?"

I blink in surprise. "Y-yeah, sure... no problem."

"After dinner then."

I nod once more and head out of the library. Once I'm past the doors, my feet stop as my brain is hit with the full comprehension of what had just happened. _Sakuya said yes to me asking her out for a date! I can hardly believe it! _With that thought encouraging me, I continue down the corridor, and out of the mansion, a slight skip in my step.

I find Meiling dozing against the side of the gate as usual, and sit next to her legs on the ground waiting for her to wake up and notice me.

After a short while, she twitches and stirs. "Snrrrk... huh? Wha? Oh, Ikuto..."

"Good afternoon." I remark cheerfully. "Slept well?"

"Hah!" She immediately springs to full wakefulness. "Ahaha... you caught me sleeping again."

I grin at the redhead as she finger-combs her hair self-consciously. "Pretty boring, I know. But it's your duty, so you're out of luck."

"Stop teasing me." Meiling prods me with her foot, sighing. "Are we going to train?"

I shake my head. "Not today." Raising my arm to show the place where Patchy drew my blood, I explain, "I gave quite a bit of blood for some important piece of magic later, so it's not safe for me to exercise too much right now."

"Oh, okay." She seems slightly disappointed.

"Still, want to talk a little?"

This time, she grins. "Sure."

Meiling explains about the plants and flowers she always looks after in her free time, explaining how some of them can be used in herbal remedies. My scholarly side is only too willing to learn more interesting tidbits of information, and I question her more about the ways to care for plants and how to harvest the useful parts. As she continues to teach me another area of what she knows, I take another look at my impression of Hong Meiling.

The gate guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she stands against those who would attempt to enter without leave, using her prodigious fighting skills and fierce Ki ability to defeat those who tried. Yet there is another side to her, a softer, kindlier one. A big sister-type that is always willing to talk to those who don't mind conversing with her, big-hearted just like her chest indicates, with a tendency to attract cats to her when she's sleeping. And now I find out that her Oriental knowledge is far wider than just her martial arts.

"Have you ever tried talking to Eirin about these?" I suggest.

"The Lunarian pharmacist? She already knows these uses."

_Figures._ "Yeah," I nod," She's a genius in her field, after all."

We sit there staring at the scenery colored by the orange setting sun, with a few errant fairies playing some odd game of danmaku tag. The peacefulness of the view makes it all too clear that summer is finally ending to let autumn take its place. Thinking about it, I've been staying her for nearly six months already...

"Are you thinking of leaving?" Meiling asks suddenly.

"What? How did you know?"

"You have that look about you."

"What sort of look is that?"

"It's..." Meiling trails off, her expression showing her thinking hard, "I don't know how to describe it. If I had to put it somehow, I'd say it's like Lady Remilia's when she feels the urge to go out. Except yours is more... final."

"And here I thought Remi was the only perceptive one..." I mutter.

"Hey! I'm pretty perceptive myself, you know! How do you think I can detect intruders long before they come?"

"Uhh... isn't that your Ki sensing ability?"

She proceeds to give me a lecture about how a master of Ki can read his opponent's Ki flow once his senses have been so attuned with nature that he can perceive the ebbs and flow of life energy around him, which gives him an insight into what intentions other people may have.

"That would make you some kind of super empathic person." I blurt out with a bit of disbelief in my voice.

"I don't do it all the time, Ikuto. And I can't do it on everyone." Meiling patiently explains, "It takes lots of practice to understand how each person's Ki reacts based on their own emotions."

"And you understand mine because of how long we've been with each other?" I ask, and get a nod in response. "Hmm, alright."

"Aren't you going to get mad at me for that?"

"Why would I?" I ask frankly. "Besides, I'm kind of used to people knowing my secrets... Yukari made sure of that." My flat tone makes it clear just what I think of that gap hag.

"Actually, I don't really know the Yakumo lady that well."

"But-" _Oh yeah, when Yukari wants to enter, she just gaps straight in. No point wasting time going past the gate guard. _"Ah, I guess you're lucky then. Even Reimu knows how frustrating it is to have Yukari as a part of one's life."

"Poor you." Meiling tells me sympathetically, patting my shoulder.

The feeling of her hand leaves my shoulder feeling oddly warm and nice, and my heart beats slightly faster. I recall how a new chip appeared on the bracelet after the dance we shared during the ball, and wonder if I should just go for it. Then I meet her eyes and see the worry in them, and realize with a blush that she could tell how I was feeling.

"Don't be so worried about leaving here. You can come back at any time, right?"

_She misunderstood. _"It's not that..."

"You're worrying about something else now? Would you like to tell your Onee-san?"

I smirk. "Calling yourself an Onee-san now?"

Meiling snickers and shoves me lightly. "Is that a comment about my age? Don't make me hurt you now~"

"But you know what? I agree totally."

"Eh?" Her snickering dies off and she looks at me in surprise, as if she didn't expect me to admit it.

As Meiling listens, I give her the usual story about my broken sense of emotions, and how I'm holding up with each girl in my harem. And with her, I add a level of honesty that I've only shared with Suika before; I tell her about the ring and the chips on the bracelet, explaining how a blank one appeared after my dance with her, and the possible implications it carried.

"Anyway, I figure that eventually some girl won't want to share, and then I'll have to reject her..." I trail off, having never actually imagined the possible outcome of that scenario. _Thought about, yes, but not followed it through fully._

"You..." Meiling's mouth open and closes slowly over and over, clearly flabbergasted by what I just told her. "You like me? I mean, as in like _like_ me?" She recovers enough to ask.

"Of course I do!" It's unreasonable, but the way she's asking somehow makes me feel a little irritated.

"That's..." She suddenly blushes deeply.

"At the very least, I don't want to leave letting this chance to grow closer to you pass." I hold up my left wrist to let her know what I'm talking about.

Meiling's head droops slightly, and she doesn't say a word. Feeling worried, I approach slightly and make to take her hand.

She slaps it away, and I step back in shock, feeling the sting of her blow. "Meiling?"

"I'm a guard." She tells me seriously. "I'm not supposed to let anyone pass unless they are strong enough to beat me."

"What?"

A small smirk appears on her lips. "Actually, I'm not sure what to think either. But Ikuto, if you're really serious about me, then you've got to prove it."

I stare at her, then facepalm. _When did this suddenly turn into 'you have to beat the girl to get her'?_

"Ikuto?"

"Erm... how do I say this... I'd take you up on it right now... but I'm going out to the village with Sakuya tonight." I try not to sound slightly hopeful that she will accept this.

"Oh, no worries! The offer stays open..." Meiling frowns to show her seriousness on the matter. "Until you leave, of course."

"That's great. Thanks." I reply mechanically. "Have to go now, be seeing you."

As I walk back into the mansion, thoughts swirl through my head furiously. _Fighting Meiling... at my level, it'll take a while, but she'll eventually wipe the floor with me. I might be able to win if I try some of my tricks, but something tells me that's not what she's after... GAAAH! I can't think of anything!_

Feeling grumpy, I head back into my room to just take a nap.

* * *

><p>After I wake up, I spend the rest of the afternoon just killing time, playing chess with Remi, practicing my knife and needle throwing at a more relaxed pace, or simply walking around watching the fairy maids mess around in the course of trying to do their work... I'm not sure if they even try or not, sometimes.<p>

"YAAA!"

I duck and counter with an uppercut, then add a roundhouse kick that sends my attacker crashing into the wall and vanishing into motes of light.

And then recently, there are some mischievous ones that actually try to attack me, despite me being a guest of the place for so many months already. One on one, they are no problem, of course. Plus, they keep me on my feet. There's only one small thing...

The rest of the fairies in the corridor freeze and turn in my direction, their eyes coming alight.

Mob mentality, I think it's called. When one initiates, and I retaliate, somehow that action triggers EVERY fairy within eyesight into launching an attack.

_Oh fuck... I was supposed to take a rest todayayayayay-! _I dive and roll under the dozens of danmaku spraying around the place. _They'll keep coming since the noise attracts more fairies, but I'm not sure if I can do it in my current condition!_

"Get him!" One fairy yells, brandishing her dusting tool like a regiment captain directing her troops with a saber.

"UOOHHHH!" As one, the rest of the fairies charge.

_Alright, alright, keep cool. Just watch the pattern... _I take a few quick steps to the side of the corridor as the fairies divide themselves into two lines and fly towards me, releasing straight bullets before turning to retreat back to a safer distance. _Right, now just slowly step over towards to the other side as each bullet passes through my previous position. Step, step, step, step... _

"Next!"

Two higher-level fairies come next, and release arrow-shaped waves of bullets. Meanwhile, the two lines curve around to move in a sideways manner, this time dropping straight bullets down the length of the corridor.

_Did I just get the overhead view on this? _I raise an eyebrow as I weave from side to side, advancing and retreating in turn to dodge around and through the waves.

"All together now!"

I frown slightly, then open my eyes wide and duck as quickly as I can. Not a moment too soon, as bullets pass overhead from behind me. _When did they get behind me? Uh oh, whoa, too close! Not good, I'm feeling light-headed... _

"_YOU_ were supposed to be _resting_." A voice breaks through the din, making everyone there hesitate.

The words that follow afterwards aren't in any language that I recognize, but their inherent power is certainly unmistakable, as elemental danmaku rushes through the air around me, decimating the fairies with fire, water, wind, and metal before they can beat a retreat. By the time the storm ends, there's nothing left of the fairies but a great deal of superficial structural damage. And even that disappears quickly when the voice chants something different, repairing the floor, walls, and ceiling until it's as if they were never damaged in the first place, if not for the dust lying around.

I look up to see my savior, Patchy, standing at the end of the corridor. "Thanks, Patchy." I pant out.

"Save your thanks. I gave you clear instructions to-" The sorceress suddenly breaks down coughing.

Feeling worried, I approach her, only to see her fall to her knees. Instantly, I rush over to her side and barely manage to catch her before she collapses to the ground.

"Mukyuuu~..."

_Huh, that's one odd way of groaning. _"Patchy, are you okay?"

"Today's... condition... not good..." She croaks out.

"Just like me, huh." I comment. "Need any help?"

Patchy shakes her head and tries to stand, only to fall to another bout of coughing once more. Sighing at her stubbornness, I pick her body up in my arms and start walking, ignoring her attempts to make me put her down. With her ability to argue or chant any spells gone due to her coughing, Patchy eventually gives up on trying to stop me and lets me carry her back to the library, looking rather put out over the entire thing.

_For all her firepower, Patchy really is kind of small... feels like she lost a little weight though. _I open the door by turning the handle with my knee and pushing it open, taking care not to knock Patchy into anything. _Still big... _I eye the telltale wobble in her chest area.

Thankfully, Koa finds us almost immediately. "...Patchouli-sama? What's the matter?"

"Her illness has been acting up." I explain to the succubus. "Is there anywhere she can rest?"

"...'m fine." Patchy rasps, but both of us ignore her.

It's my first time entering Patchy's room, and I'm not surprised to see books everywhere, even on the four-poster bed. Following Koa's path, I navigate through the stacks without disturbing them, until I can put the sickly patient into her own bed. It takes a bit of willpower to resist Koa's allure when I approach the bed with her holding the covers up so I can slide Patchy in, but I manage the task just fine.

"Does she have any medicine?" I ask after retreating to a comfortable distance.

"She does," Koa confirms while Patchy just frowns at us, "But we're getting a bit low."

"Hm, then it's good that I'm going to the village tonight. Isn't it, Patchy?" I smile widely at the person in the bed.

She just flaps her hand at me in a resigned manner, clearly understanding the difference in our positions. Koa nods towards me, and starts fussing over her mistress, fluffing up pillows, bringing some of the other books closer to the bed, and basically acting like a servant instead of an assistant librarian.

_I've never seen her this bad... then again, I've never saw such a display of power before either. Perhaps the two are related? She didn't use fully constructed magic like her spell cards, but a slightly rougher one instead, and that affected her health adversely? Hmmm... her condition really is a problem... _

As I walk away, I realize that the cut on my arm is bleeding from the earlier scuffle, and heal it by materializing a mini version of Blaze Revive. Then I realize something... I could have used the mini Keyblades when I was fighting against the fairies, but I had totally forgotten about them. What a waste; I could have used them when I...

My eyes grow wide as I realize I might have a way to take on Meiling after all. _Have to practice with them then._

However, my plans have to be put on hold, as the call for dinner soon arrives. I head to the dining room and join Remi and Flan for the meal, with Sakuya doing the serving this time. Both sisters sniff the air when I enter, and look at me with slightly hungry expressions. Luckily, neither of them make any mention of their actions.

Flan insists on playing a game with me later, but I decline, saying I have an errand to run.

"What errand would that be?" Remi asks, in apparent disinterest.

_...why do I get the feeling she's not as uninterested as she appears? _"Patchy had a relapse today, and I volunteered to go pick up some more from Eirin."

Sakuya glances questioningly at me, and I shoot her a quick smile to reassure the maid.

"I see." Remilia takes another bite of food from her fork. "Take your time enjoying yourself then."

"Want me to buy anything for you?" I inquire, wondering if she knew.

Her fork stops halfway down for a moment. "Just do what you want."

_Yeah, she definitely knows. Wonder why she seems a little grumpy about it...? There's no way she can like me anyway... _I finish my food and help Sakuya clear away the dishes.

"She knows, doesn't she?" I whisper to her as we walk out of the room.

"Milady knows nearly everything that happens in her realm."

I glance around nervously, but I don't see any of Remi's bats. Then again, I'm not sure I can even spot it. I didn't notice it the first time she planted one on me, so it's not like I'm any likely to... On a whim, I try the detect magic spell, but I fail to pick up anything in particular.

_Is vampire magic different from Patchy's one? Or can it even be called magic in the first place? _

Once the dishes are done, I head back to my room to change, and meet Sakuya out at the front gate, where she's busy chastising Meiling for falling asleep again. Despite the scolding, the redhead happily sees us off, slowly waving her hand at chest level.

As we walk down the path to the village in the cooling night air, I start noticing more about the place than I ever have before. It makes me realize just how rare it is for me to venture outside in Gensokyo when night falls. Thinking back, I went out once with Alice to eat at Mystia's stall, another time to go from Mokou's place to the village in order to see... damn, I forgot, and the last time was when I was returning home with the people from the Mansion after the party, but then I was flying up in the air with Flan.

"How often do you go to the village at night?" I ask Sakuya.

"..." Sakuya closes her eyes, thinking, but her steps are sure. "Rarely. I usually go during the day, since that's when the shops are open."

"Going only when the need calls for it, huh." I chuckle. "That means you haven't really seen the village nightlife."

"Is there a festival tonight?"

I shake my head. "Nah, but there are certain places that only open late in the evening, since they cater to the youkai who are more active at night."

"Like Mystia?"

"Like Mystia." I confirm.

"What about Mystia?"

The two of us stop and look at the person who had just spoken. It takes me a while to place him? Her? But eventually I recognize the youkai... especially since she (the majority of characters in Touhou are girls, so let's go with that) has two bug-like feelers growing out from her head of green hair. I don't even have to scrutinize her clothes, since they're just a long-sleeved shirt, a cape and puffy short pants, and after seeing so many fairies like Cirno, the sight of her wings already tell me that she isn't another fairy, but a bug youkai.

Wriggle Nightbug.

It's my first time seeing her.

"Good evening, how can I help you?" I ask respectfully.

"Why were you talking about Mystia?"

I exchange a glance with Sakuya, who silently tells me to go ahead. "Because it's night time, and she's a _night_ sparrow?"

The firefly youkai considers what I just said, turning it over in her head, but finds nothing wrong or insulting about what I just said. Meanwhile, Sakuya just crosses her arms and waits.

"Well, if you'll just excuse us, we're going to the village."

"Not so fast." Wriggle stops me. "If you come out at night, you have to be prepared to be attacked."

I give Sakuya a helpless glance, and the maid sighs.

"Wriggle-san. I'm going to ask only once. Let the two of us pass." She speaks softly but clearly.

The youkai frowns at Sakuya. "You... you're that vampire's dog, aren't you?"

"I am." Sakuya admits. "Will you let us pass, or do we need to have a spell card duel?"

Wriggle grins toothily, and Sakuya arms herself with a handful of blades. Then they both take to the air.

Sakuya goes first, throwing out some knives that Wriggle dodges. The youkai retaliates with two waves of spread danmaku that she throws out like left-right hooks, then follows up with three spread-out straight beam danmaku, the middle one aimed directly at Sakuya while the other two goes to either side of the maid.

Sakuya retreats slightly so the spread creates enough space for her to go between them. "Have you forgotten how we met on that night?"

_That night? _

"Ha! That was only a lucky win! It's not going to happen this time!" Wriggle raises her hands, and two tiny orbs of light dart up from the grass bordering the path.

I recognize what Patchy taught me as familiar magic, as the two orbs suddenly expand greatly, becoming glowing balls the size of my head. With a flick of her hands, Wriggle sends them soaring around her, releasing danmaku of her own from them.

_Familiars... they act to supplement their master's magic. A fire spell cast through a familiar with a fire affinity will be stronger than if the caster did so directly, but the cost is also higher, just not as much as if the caster powered his own spell to reach the same level._ I eye the seemingly random pattern, then take a few steps aside into a safe spot. _Then again, since everybody here is so powerful, efficiency doesn't really matter to them. It's just a matter of being able to sustain the larger output with the spell card rules._

Sakuya swoops out of the way of the bullets, and throws out a series of knives. Then between one moment and the next, the number of them multiplies, three waves of blades aimed directly at Wriggle from three separate angles. But that's not all Sakuya does; in each hand she carries a knife, and they are starting to glow with a familiar purple light.

"**Light Speed, -C. Ricochet!-**"

_Damn... if she pulled that tactic on me during our spars, I'd be dead! And so is Wriggle._ My head turns repeatedly as I try to keep track of how they bounce around the place defying the laws of physics.

Wriggle swerves around the normal knives, dipping and twisting, but the attention it requires prevents her from reacting to the ricocheting knives until it's too late. As it is, the two missiles strike Wriggle with the penetrative force of a drill, and break through her hastily erected guard.

"KYAAAAH!" Her scream as she falls is surprisingly girlish, and Wriggle Nightbug crashes into the bushes and out of sight.

Sakuya lands next to me and pats down her clothes. "There."

"Sorry for having you walk with me. I don't think we would have been attacked if you were flying instead." I apologize.

"No need for that. It was my choice to go along with you."

I perform a slight bow, extending my hand as though asking for a dance. "Well then, my lady, shall we?"

In the dim light, it's hard to tell whether she blushed or not, but there's a small strain in her voice as she replies, "Let's."

She puts her hand in mine, and we continue on our way, ignoring the moan of pain from someone lying somewhere off the path.

We make our way to Eientei first to get the matter of Patchy's medicine out of the way, and luckily run into Reisen, who greets me warmly before helping us get the stuff we need. She's managing quite well without seeing me that often, though she confides to me that Eirin has been making her do a lot more work to distract her from thinking of me... which is only partially successful. Then she proceeds to pull on my ear and nag me about going after EVEN more girls; it's really hard to hide relationships when you wear a certain piece of jewelry that reveals the number of them. Thankfully, Reisen lets me off with just a light tongue-lashing, and I manage to leave without encountering Eirin. God knows what she'll drug me with if she finds out that I'm on a date with Sakuya.

Our time in the village passes by smoothly, as I show Sakuya some of the shops that open only to the customers at night. Certainly, her presence draws some attention from the youkais who recognize her, but when they see she's with me, they just smirk knowingly and tell me to show her a good time. I'm not entirely sure, but I think my reputation is still going strong.

Boss certainly seems to think so, as he offers the two of us sake on the house, as well as inquiring whether I intend to make use of one of his rooms. Judging from the look Sakuya gives me, she knows what those rooms are used for, so I hastily decline.

There are shops that sell odd items that only youkais would value, of course run by the same... I don't think you can call it a species, let's just say class- as those who buy them. For a brief moment, I recall Rinnosuke, who hardly sells anything since what he stocks are items that people centuries later would buy... that and most of them won't work without electricity.

When we come across a jeweler, I decide to spend a bit of the savings I have to buy a silver pendant for Sakuya... and a small ring with a tiny ruby that I judge to be around Remi's size. _Alright, I'm practically broke now. I really need to find out how people like Reimu or Marisa get their meals around here... I know I can gather stuff from the forests to sell, but I don't really know how to go about the selling part._

"Thank you for this gift, Ikuto." Sakuya caresses the sculpted piece tenderly. "Put it on for me?"

She turns around and lifts up the back of hair, inviting me. I reach around and transfer one end of the chain to my other hand, and draw both ends around to the back of her neck before locking them together. That done, she turns around and looks at me expectantly.

"It looks really good on you, but I should have bought you one with a red jewel, since blue wouldn't stand out enou-"

Sakuya shakes her head, stopping me mid-sentence. "It's enough for me. You didn't have to spend your own money-"

This time I'm the one who stops her. "I wanted to."

Then we both stop and just stare at each other, since the argument would just go in a continuous loop.

"Just kiss her already, young man." The seller tells me dryly.

_That's... ah, screw it. _I lean in and press my lips to hers lightly. One second later, I feel her press back.

A gasp makes us spring apart, and we both turn to see who had made that sound. There, stood Keine Kamishirasawa, her hand covering her mouth but doing nothing to conceal her shock.

"Uh... hi, Keine...?"

What I did NOT expect was for her to suddenly turn and run away. And why did I feel this strange ache in my chest? I'm not even in a relationship with her, like I am with Mokou and the others.

"Huh?" is all I could say.

"Ikuto... was she crying?" Sakuya asks me, with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I don't know... WHOA!" I suddenly duck down as a stone flies as me, missing my head due to my dodge. "Who threw that?" The sound of running feet answers me, but with the night youkais out, the trail soon vanishes.

My companion peers in the direction where it came from, then shakes her head. "It's too dark already, we won't be able to tell who threw it."

"If it wasn't nighttime, we would have to consider children too." _Those kids really like Keine as a teacher... if they find out about how I made her cry, they're gonna lynch me. But who was that guy?_

In the end, with the mood spoiled, we decide to end our date right there, and still feeling confused and rather negative, I leave the village with Sakuya. Even later, when I give Remi her ring (she extended her right hand and told me to put it on her, and I placed it on her middle finger), the dark aura still remains with me.

Thoughts continue to run through my head even as I lie in my bed waiting for sleep to claim me. _Why did Keine react like that? It's not like she has a crush on me... okay, that MIGHT be a possibility since she cried when I left the village, at least it looked like she did, but then she did a really good job of holding it in. _I bite my lower lip worriedly. _Damn, did I hurt her or something like that? Gaaaaaah..._

Wanting to get away from that subject, my mind moves on to that man, and then I recall that Keine said she had a lover. So that means she couldn't have had a crush on me... then what exactly IS going on? Was that man the one Keine told me about? If so, then it might explain why he attacked me from afar, since he must not have dared to approach with Sakuya by my side. But then why didn't he just approach Keine? Did he have some reason not to, or was it just some stalker who didn't like the fact that I made the lady cry? I mess up my hair in frustration, then roll over in my bed and forced myself to think about something else entirely.

_Damn it..._

* * *

><p><em>"Oh, you're here." Komachi waves from her position on the floor. "Somebody knocked just now, mind going to see who it is?"<em>

_"Might as well. Who would visit this place anyway? Suika's still up there, and Iku's probably got another task to do." Shrugging, I head out of the room and go to the front door._

_Just as I reach the door, another knock sounds from the other side of it. "Yes? Who is it?" I say as I slide it open._

_"Iku-" There's a short pause. "TOOOOOOOOO~"_

_As I go flying from the impact, I thank whatever higher entity that is out there that Suika didn't use more of her strength when she tackled me. Still, she hits me hard enough that we travel down the entire length of the corridor, which is at least ten meters._

_"Hey there! Miss me?" The oni grins from her position on top of me._

_"Very much, actually." My voice is dry as I answer her. A smile forms on my face, and I reach up to pat her head. "Welcome back, Suika."_

_"I'm back, Ikuto." Her toothy grin shrinks down to a smile, but I can see the loving emotion in it._

Actually, it's only been like six days since I last saw Suika, but we like joking around like this.

_"Oooi~" Our personal moment is interrupted by the third member's demanding call. "Could somebody break out the sake? Since we've got an oni back, let's celebrate..."_

Hardly sounds like you want to celebrate. _I grab Suika around her body and toss her up into the air with a bit of Ki, then hop to my feet and catch her on the way down. _Still as light as I recall.

_"Whoo! Nice move, Ikuto! Where did you learn that?" _

_"I've been training quite a bit at the Mansion, remember?" I move her body around to in front of me, and she latches onto my neck, her face in mine. "But anyway, here's a starter before we get to actually celebrating our reunion." I give her a smooch on her sake-flavored mouth._

_"Hehehe..." The little oni giggles, her legs clamping around my waist. "It'd better be a good one."_

_"Still waiting here~" Komachi complains._

_"We're coming!"_

_Over a few bowls of sake from Suika's endless gourd, she tells us about what's going on up in Heaven. As I pretty much expected of a simple soul like my little oni, she just lazes around, drinks, and eats the peaches, partying with the Celestials up there and irritating the Eldest Daughter of the Hinanawi clan with her presence. _

_"Did she try to fight you?" I ask, taking another gulp of sake._

_"Mmm..." Red-cheeked, Suika looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I think she did... can't recall."_

_"You know..." I swirl the remaining liquor in my dish around in contemplation, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually think I miss her annoying personality."_

_"Huuuh~?" Suika leans against me, a teasing look on her face. "You thinking of something naughty, Ikuto?"_

_"Maybe." I admit shamelessly, slipping one hand into her top._

_"Mmm... ah..." She wriggles in my arm. "You know, the Celestials have some really nice liquor, but they didn't have my newest favorite flavor..." I lean my head out of the way of her horn as she turns to give me a sultry look. _

_Well, what else could I do but oblige? Within moments, clothes get tossed aside, and we get down to 'reuniting', and Komachi joins in after a while. Like the last time, both of them really appreciate my longer staying power._

_Man, I really love those two._

* * *

><p>When I wake up the next morning feeling refreshed, it's to find Flan in my bed again, hugging my side like I'm some big teddy bear, her legs wrapped around one of mine. Then I recall what Sakuya told me about the fate Flan's previous teddy bears and other assorted stuffed toys met.<p>

_Ahh, just give it a rest already. You've spent all this time with her without anything of that sort of happening to you, _My mind tells me, _Besides, Flan's hardly going to kill her Onii-chan, right?_

As if she's privy to my thoughts, the little vampire girl lets out a happy murmur.

Of course Flan's not going to kill her Onii-chan, but that's a totally different matter from letting her Onii-chan get out of bed so he can go and train. I'm not sure how I didn't manage to wake up while she did it, but she's got one arm under me in the small arch of my back. The other one is tightly holding on to the front of my shirt. Both arms may be slender, but the force that lies sleeping inside them is like steel, even to my enhanced abilities. And unless I can turn myself into mist like Suika, there's no way I can wriggle my leg out from her controlling wrap.

"Mmblemmble... Onii-chan..."

I pat her shoulder, feeling the urge to pamper her a little.

I suddenly feel her body starting to move up and down against mine. "Mfufufu... play with me... down there more... Onii-chan..." She mutters in a seductive tone.

All of a sudden, I sense another presence in my room. Thinking it's Meiling, I turn my head to look in its direction and ask for help-

Only to see Remi standing there, her palm-up hand raised in front of her face with her absurdly sharp-looking crimson nails twitching slightly, and a decidedly blank expression.

"Ikuto? I know you've slept with my sister already, and I told you that I didn't hold anything against you for that." Remi starts off tonelessly. "But it's odd. Because when I see the two of you in bed like that, I have this urge to..." She trails off, working her fingers in an unnerving manner.

"Onee-sama too?" Flan suddenly says, and we both look at her only to realize that she's still sleeping. "That's okay... let's all feel really _really_ good together..." She coos out loud.

_There's my damn screwed up luck again. This shit always happens to me. _I voice out my emotions with a single word. "Crap." _Of all times for Flan to have a naughty dream..._

"Say, Ikuto. What do you think I should do now?"

The word 'Doom' keeps repeating itself in my head, and I can barely form a coherent reply. "Errrrr... I dunno?"

That shows how bad I can be under pressure sometimes.

Remi starts playing with the ring I gave her last night, turning it on her finger. "_Surely_ you must have some experience with this sort of thing?" The vampire asks mildly.

_Let's see... Aya stumbling across the results of my time with Youmu and Yuyuko... sleeping my way through Eientei in a drug-hazed night... Nearly being caught by Reimu during my first time with Suika doesn't count... so only twice. _"I usually... follow my emotions... in these situations..." I say slowly. "Or the first suggestion I come across."

Once again, Flan interrupts, "...sleep together with Onee-sama too, Onii-chan..."

_WHY? WHY ME?_

"Hm. I suppose I will think about it. For now, I'll send Meiling to help get Flan off you." Remi turns and exits the room.

I stay stock-still for a moment, still aware of Flan rubbing her body against me. _Did she just spare my life?_

After an indeterminate amount of time later, Meiling shows up to coax the loli vampire off me, and I go to wash up, feeling the moistness on my thigh. I'm not sure if this counts as a good morning or not, but I keep having the feeling that my day is already screwed. When I meet Sakuya in the kitchen as I'm cooking my breakfast, she thanks me for letting her enjoy herself last night, omitting any mention of the event of Keine seeing us kiss each other.

Just as she's about to leave, she seems to recall something, and asks me, "Did something happen between you and Milady?"

"Errr... I got caught in a compromising position." _A technically true statement that does not go into too much detail..._

Sakuya gives me a hard look, before nodding and going on her way.

"Whew." I exhale explosively in relief.

But of course, just because I dodged one bullet- _that seems like a remarkably apt description, since Gensokyo, which is where the spell card duels are held, is all about dodging bullets!- _doesn't mean that I'm free from worries. There's still the matter of Meiling, and I haven't gotten the runic sigil inscribed onto my body yet; the latter one promises to be rather uncomfortable.

_Alright, let's start planning. I want to win against Meiling, because I'm not going to just give up just because she wants me to beat her. But how? Physical ability-wise, I'm slightly slower than her, and no need to even mention who's better in terms of techniques. _Sitting at my desk, I start tapping my finger as I think. _Besides, what does beating her really entail? I think I can win if I bluff and stuff, but really, that doesn't feel right. And with the way she can read me, my chances of winning are just low._

My brainstorming goes on and on... but it's only until an hour of image training later that I remember I got my mini-Keyblades... again. As well as my ring. If I recall correctly, I used a different subset of its power when I was fighting against Yuuka... I never really explored that ability, since I gave up the key in order to stay here, and I also forgot about it entirely since I started training. Geez... now I'm feeling like I made a mistake somewhere in my training.

_Technically, it stands to reason. The key and the ring are related... but it's quite risky trying to play something entirely new as a trump card..._ I stand up from my chair and leave my room. _That decides it... I'll just charge forward. _Zenryoku Zenkai! I use the phrase of the White Devil.

However, my enthusiasm starts to wane when Meiling matches it. "Really? That's great! So when do you want to challenge me? I'm fine with right here and now."

"Uhhh... I think maybe later."

"Alright, so when?"

...

"As if I didn't have enough to do already..." Patchy mutters a complaint as she sets up a dueling ward in the entrance hall. "It's difficult enough trying to prepare the ritual to implant the sigils into your body without having to create an arena as well."

"Sorry, but it kind of happened..." _Another weak excuse._

"..." Patchy gives me a look that says volumes before continuing with her casting.

_At least she's better now that I got her her medicine. _I know there's no point in lamenting my current situation of having to fight tonight, so I just go through a bit of warming up and practicing my moves a bit more.

Of course, I didn't go into this without any thought; one thing I took into account was that Meiling tends to weaken when she's hungry, while going on that errand for Yukari taught me how to channel my hunger into battle strength, which is why I suggested that we fight as dinner entertainment for the others.

_For some reason, I'm reminded of the time when I faced off against Aya... a multiple-step plan... has it really been that long? _I finish stretching and run Ki through my body's channels a few times to ensure a smooth flow. _This is going to be another hard fight... breathe in... breathe out... I... am calm._

"Meiling, Ikuto, it's ready. Come to where I am." Sakuya calls the two of us from where she's standing in the center of the glowing red design.

As I pass Remi, I hear her say, "I'm supporting my gate guard. As her mistress, and in consideration of this morning's event."

_Oh yay. _

"Meiling is going to play with Onii-chan? Wow!" Flan claps her hands excitedly. "Do your best, Onii-chan, Meiling!" She cheers.

My stomach rumbles slightly as the smell of the food wafts past my nose, and I grin on noticing Meiling cast the dishes a longing look as I walk up to where she's standing on Sakuya's right.

"Alright, I think I know just what sort of arrangement you two have going on here," The maid looks at me pointedly as she speaks in a dry tone, "But I'm not going to interfere. This business stays between the two of you, and it will be settled here. Understood?"

_Does that mean there's no chance of a threesome? _The insane voice in my head asks petulantly, and I facepalm.

"Is there something wrong, Ikuto?"

"No... no, just lost focus for a bit." I mutter. _Can't get distracted now! _

"If you're okay." Sakuya takes a few steps back and lifts her hand. "Ready!"

Both Meiling and I settle into our stances, hers is defensive, mine is offensive. Our eyes scan each other, trying to identify any possible openings that we can exploit.

The hand drops. "START!"

She blurs into motion, but I know where she's intending to go, and react accordingly; my raised left hand blocks her thrusting foot, the imbued Ki colliding heavily with each other.

It tells me just how serious she is about this match; despite all my training, my left is still the slightly weaker side, and she went for it without hesitation.

I attempt a jab; she slaps it aside. Roundhouse kick, spinning back kick, straight punch, thrusting elbow, low sweep, stabbing finger at an arm nerve; Meiling manages to avoid them all.

_NOW! _I thrust out my left palm, aiming at where she dodged to.

She draws back slightly, just out of range.

I release the Blue Ki through my palm, firing a weak Ki blast at her face, and she bats it aside.

But the opening has been created; my Ki channels explode into full activity, running hot with Red and Indigo, destruction and speed.

My fist rams into her block explosively, and I feel her cringe a little. The rest of the chain pours out from my body in a constant stream, the results of constant practice and training, a veritable bombardment on her fortress. Each blow can be switched around slightly to create a random, but free-flowing, combination, and they all have their purpose; forcing the opponent to maintain a constantly shifting guard, adjusting her position to prevent movement, or simply breaking down the defenses before me.

I fire off an uppercut laced with Green Ki, and knock her arm out of the way. "HAAAAH!"

As I step into the heavy striking move, I remember how I struck Meiling with the same move when I first asked for training all those months ago. The fruits of my training have caused a difference though; when my foot makes contact with the floor, it creates a web of cracks, and the impact created by my elbow hitting her in the body doesn't send her sliding back, but throws her clear across the arena.

"Magnificent." I hear from the audience.

_No. She jumped back to lessen the force. What's magnificent is how she managed to do it with such a small window after all I did to lock her down._

"Tchtchtch..." Meiling covers the spot I hit with one hand. "That was a good hit, Ikuto!"

I acknowledge it with a nod. _Calm down... never let your spirit waver. _I breathe in and out, regaining my stance.

"So that's your Blast style? Then let's see your Flow style this time!"

_And here she comes... without seeming to be affected at all! _

Meiling dashes in, and begins her own series of attacks. I clear my mind and let my Purple Ki take the lead; every time she attacks, I'm slipping out of the way, moving around like a feather that reacts to the buffeting wind of the hand trying to catch it. Once she tries to do a rainbow spin that releases danmaku, but I get around it by jumping up above her for an aerial attack at her head. She tries to get into a chain like I did, but I keep interrupting her flow, and thus manage to stay safe. Relatively speaking.

_Parry to the side, destabilize her leg with my knee, push her backfist upwards and over my head, twist and roll! _Meiling flips to avoid getting her wrist locked, and snatches her hand free. _Duck under, roll over to her left side, spin down the length of her punch- _This time, I return with a back slam, sending Meiling stumbling forward. _Honestly didn't expect that to hit._

She recovers and attacks again. Duck under the kick, jump over the sweep, counter with a Yellow Ki slash, follow up with two more slashes and a knee strike!

Meiling blocks it squarely with her palms, cushioning it in a blue glow.

_That's the move that... _I duck slightly, then drop down into a split as she kicks out again, lashing back with her heel after missing my head. _Damn!_

Bracing my hands on the floor behind me, I extend my legs, and scissor her support leg from beneath her, sending the redhead to the floor. She stops her fall with her hands, and kicks out at me with the leg that missed earlier.

I parry the thrust with mine, then drive my heel down at her other thigh. She twists and moves it out of the way, but that leg is still pinned beneath my right one, and I quickly switch, this time using my left to hold it down while I scythe at another part of her body with the right.

Our palms move in a furious quickstep, carrying our bodies in a dance around the floor as we use our legs to fence against each other, until a chance occurrence results in our ankles locking around each other.

"HAH!"

"HYAH!"

In a synchronized motion, we attempt to twist each other off balance, but do so in the same way, sending our respective bodies spinning up into the air. I tuck my arms and legs in for the start, then fling them out to alter my body's momentum, and come back down to land on my feet. Facing me, Meiling does the same.

We exchange a brief smile, and charge at each other once more.

I snap my fingers on both hands, calling to the energy stored in my ring. Two rods of ice materialize in my hands, growing to a set length and reinforcing themselves to be harder than any normal ice.

Meiling's eyes widen when she sees my new weapons, but doesn't slow down. Since my range is now longer than hers, I get the first attack. Blue blurs lash at her body, forcing her to dodge and defend as I pummel at critical areas. But she knows my weakness with weapons, and pushes forward to take the fight into a close-range battle. Still, I manage to score a few good hits on sensitive muscle spots.

And I'm not that weak anymore; when she tries to jab at my body, I flick my wrist to knock it aside with the end of one rod, before countering with another. Similarly, I use the point or the butt to deflect her blows off course, sometimes even punching with the weapons still in my hand.

_But it's not working! _I think furiously, stepping back as I continue to wail away at the red and green powerhouse. _Need to stop her from moving- There!_

Between one footstep and the next, I drop and spin, bringing both rods together and slipping them behind her forward foot, and jerking it out from under her using both hands to pull, sending Meiling falling back.

_Got her! Now to- _Whatever my plan was, it goes down the drain when Meiling recovers in a way I did not expect.

As the redhead fell back, her hands went up over her shoulders, and she lands on her palms and muscular upper back, her lower body bending to absorb and dissipate the force. Then she pushes back, jumping back up onto her feet, and launches an attack that takes me by surprise.

_SHIT! _I cross the ice rods together in its path, but her fist shatters both of them easily, making me squint to prevent splinters from getting into my eyes. Even so, I feel some cuts on my face.

Thankfully, I manage to escape by rolling away before she can land an actual hit on me. But I come away from that exchange with the realization that trying to use my relatively rusty Arnis skills doesn't work, and a decision to just continue hitting away until I win.

Despite the successes I've had, the differences between us start to show more clearly as time goes on, as her inhuman stamina helps to keep her functioning at a high level of ability while mine is already starting to flag with all the apparently ineffectual hits I'm landing on her. She even manages to hit me a few times, and defending against her Ki drains my own even more. Luckily, I'm able to avoid the more serious ones, like her ground stomp or her Fierce Tiger's Inner Strength mode.

_Just what... does it take... to put her down! _I stagger away from another kick, and retaliate with a weak palm strike to her thigh.

"Feel like giving up yet?" Meiling pants, only breathing slightly hard.

"Never... gonna give..." I wheeze, my stance wavering.

She suddenly pulls her right fist in, lowering her stance as rainbow energy collects around the fist to create a glowing white light.

_Oh shit. This isn't good... _My eyes flick around to check the condition of the arena.

Most of Patchy's wards are meant to protect the audience from stray shots, so the one on the floor isn't really that strong; moves like Meiling's heel drop or my hit-powering stomps have left large swathes of destruction on the red design. But what I care about is where the audience are... just a few degrees off to my left.

"HIIIYAAAAAH!" There's the sound of ground cracking as Meiling blasts off towards me with a powerful Ki punch. "**Spiral Light Step!**"

Seeing the move come towards me suddenly makes me think about the time I got Master Sparked, but I force myself to move instead of freezing up; jumping back with Green Ki, layering explosive Red over defensive Orange to create blast armor, and then... IMPACT.

I fly through the air, and my back crashes painfully against the edge of the arena, the intense burning filling my vision with blurring. Even as I bounce off it, I realize that it's not over yet, as she jumps up to intercept my body.

It's like trying to block a blizzard; Meiling uses hammerfists, chops, palms, kicks, heels, all infused with Ki as she juggles me in the air.

"Guh!" I feel gravity start to take over, but maintain my guard even as Meiling lands first.

"**Sky Dragon Kick!**" She performs a comet kick, coming straight for me.

The spear of light hits me straight on my crossed arms, sending me to crash against the barrier once more.

"Onii-chan!"

_Flan's behind me... Good._ "I'm fine... Flan... Haven't... lost yet..."

Glancing up, I see that Meiling is shaking her right hand out; my counter-defense had an effect on her at least.

"Still up for it?"

I give her my best 'Not going to go down' look. _Guess it's time._ "Flan, who do you want to win?" I ask the vampire who's somewhere behind me.

"Hmm... I like Meiling and Onii-chan both!"

"Onii-chan might lose, you know..." I say, watching Meiling approach.

Flan reacts to that instantly. "No, you can't lose, Onii-chan!" She pleads.

_That's what I needed to hear. Trump card number one, activate! _It's a risk trying to Awaken based on guesswork, but it pays off as energy fills my body to answer Flan's interpreted desire.

Meiling notices and stops. "Ikuto... you actually..."

"...did it..." Sakuya's voice completes what her colleague was about to say, and gives me the clue to her location.

_Trump card number two! _I extend my left hand in Sakuya's direction, knowing that she'll have my key... the thing I require to make the mini-Keyblades. _Burst Needle, Healing, Enhancing!_ Two things appear in my fingers, and I jab them into my body.

"Oho..." I hear Remi murmur in what sounds like approval.

_It worked! _I think gleefully as my body powers up even more.

This trump card, while more likely to succeed compared to the previous one, wasn't something I was really expecting. Still, I planned for what I was going to do in the event that it did. Wavebreaker would be useless unless I got off a point-blank shot in the mouth or eye, Life Eater would be too extreme, Eternal Inheritance is useless since Meiling doesn't use any of the five elements, Blaze Revive won't fix bruises... which leaves only Burst Needle and Reaper's Toll.

Or does it?

As I was thinking about which mini-Keyblades I could use, I wondered why I couldn't bring out a version of Phantom Blossom. Then I got into thinking about what the Keyblade itself represented besides a physical manifestation of the bond between me and Youmu. In the end, I came to the conclusion that Phantom Blossom is, and always will be, a sword, a thing that I never felt the use for enough to want a mini-version of it.

_Please work, please work, please work... _Discarding the used doses of Burst Needle, I execute a running jump with a spin incorporated into it, this time aiming both hands towards Sakuya as I twist my body around. _Yellow and Blue Ki! SLASH!_

Taking a risk with my low reserves, I release a arc of Ki from my heel, sending the wave flying towards Meiling, who ducks to avoid it, letting the energy cut a deep groove into the ground behind her.

"So this is round two, huh?" She asks, straightening up.

"No..." The small keys in my hands morph into two straight short swords. "This is the end!"

I trigger the magic in my ring once more, trying to replicate the effect that I had observed during my fight with Yuuka. _Need more speed! _Ice coats the blades and gives them a mystical blue sheen, and my body feels even lighter, if that were possible.

I'm not sure just how long I can maintain the power-up, but at this point, I hardly think it matters; Ki, Awakening, Burst Needle, Phantom Blossom, and now the ring boost, all their physical enhancements have compounded to make me REALLY fast, maybe nearly reaching Aya's level. With all my energy, Meiling is moving sluggishly compared to me. So I gather it up...

And I unleash it all in one furious assault.

"**Scarred Petal Blizzard!**" _Another simple name, but whatever works..._

My blades flicker back and forth so quickly that it looks like there are dozens of them even to my enhanced eyes, cutting away the energy from Meiling's body so rapidly that I can barely make out where I'm aiming at. But I know where my body would aim, and that is enough; head, neck, arms, vital organs, thighs, legs, working down and up, moving around her to cover every single spot, no need to brace my feet on the ground like Sakuya does since my blades can cut without any resistance.

"HAAAA!" _Finish! _My feet skid on the ground as I end the flurry with a double horizontal strike through the abdomen, which carries me a great distance away.

In my hands, first the icy sheen, then the small swords, vanish, leaving them empty. I turn around...

Meiling is still standing.

Hunched and gasping, but still standing.

"That was... incre...dible..." She collects herself, and raises her fists again. "But! I'm not... going to lose!"

_Fuck. I don't have much more energy... _I draw in great breaths of air, trying to recover from the exertion that has left my body feeling at least three times as worse as she looks. _One more... one more hit..._ My fist clenches, and I start compacting the Ki inside it, in spite of swaying on my unsteady feet. _Can't lose... Flan told me not to..._ I purposely use the Awakening again, knowing the toll it would take on my battered body.

Both of us can tell that the fight was going to end with the next exchange.

"Here I come! HIYAAAAAAAAAAH!" Meiling rushes in with a battle cry.

A enticing scent wafts past my nose, and my stomach growls. _Ah... trump card... number three..._ I remember.

"I..." My voice mutters, sounding as though it's coming from very far away.

All those times, beating down those who would compete with me for food. Fending off the hungry beasts that wanted the treasure box for themselves. Fighting and fighting, until only I stand above the rest with the meal I want in my hands. Mine.

"I'm..." _Compact it more! Increase the charge!_

That's right. I entered this fight to prove my emotions, but that's just the final purpose. What motivates me isn't only that. Fighting for pride, for honor, all those can be empowering reasons not to lose. Strong emotions will draw out strength... and what I've got is one of the strongest emotions.

The primal instinct of wanting to eat.

"I'M HUNGRYYYYYY!" is the roar I meet Meiling's shout with.

Breaking into a dash, I sacrifice all defense, ducking under Meiling's blow, and hurl my energy-packed fist into her body. _GO!_

She gasps as the force blasts her back, but the attack is more than just a single punch. A soundless explosion bursts from her body even as she's in the air, accelerating her even further until she crashes into the barrier.

Then a third one happens, cracking the ground around her with the force of it hitting her into it.

_3-hit Nail Punch!_ (1) I can barely muster the emotional strength to celebrate my success at pulling off that technique, collapsing to my knees in exhaustion. _Stay down, stay down, stay down, stay down... _I chant in my mind as I focus what's left of my vision on that streak of red.

I'm not sure how much time passes, but eventually Sakuya comes out and announces me the winner. Hearing her do so seems to trigger a switch within me, and I let out all the repressed feelings in a single cry.

"UUUOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" I howl at the ceiling, pumping my fists (my left one, since my right is totally numb) in victory.

Then I finally pass out.

* * *

><p>When I finally come to, it's to find myself back in bed. Looking around, I notice a bandaged Meiling sitting on a chair next to me, dozing on her arms.<p>

_I did it! I won! I beat Meiling! _I open my mouth to say something, but my throat is too dry to make any sound.

"Mmm~? Oh, Ikuto! You're awake!" Meiling bolts up straight.

"Wa...ter..."

"Ah, yes! Here!" She grabs the pitcher on the bedside table and fills a cup, handing it to me.

I gulp it down, and another two more before I can finally speak.

"How are you?" I ask, giving her a look over.

I know for sure I haven't broken any of her bones, and she made sure to prevent my cutting Yellow Ki from breaking her skin, so the only injuries she has are aches and bruises. _Doesn't look that way seeing how she's got bandages on all her limbs. _I eye the white covering through the slit of her dress with a brief feeling of disappointment.

"A little banged up, but don't worry! I'll be just fine before you realize it!" She strikes a pose, but winces. "Ow..."

"Hahaha..." I laugh softly. "I can't believe you need bandages, though."

Meiling lifts up her left arm and looks at it. "Oh, these have herbal paste that's meant to help me recover faster. Can't have the gate guard gone from her duties, right?"

I nod. "How long was I out?"

"Quite long, actually. In fact, we both missed dinner."

At the sound of the word 'dinner', both our stomachs emit a loud growl. We look down at our respective bellies, then at each other. And we laugh.

I stop laughing first, and look at Meiling seriously. "I like you, Meiling."

She smiles. "I accept your feelings, Ikuto."

But we put off any physical display of affection in favor of eating our fill.

* * *

><p>(1) Toriko's up to 18 hits already... but Ikuto doesn't know that. 3 hits is all he can manage, but it's quite effective in its own way.<p>

Finally, I've completed another chapter! Distractions upon distractions... but I finally feel like I've gotten back some of my previous flow, especially with the combat scene. Hopefully it's what my readers have been expecting.

I'm sure most of you know what's coming up next, and believe me when I say it's going to be a really difficult chapter to write... damn inspiration just doesn't come so easily for those. Anime, games, books, fanfics, all of those just pull me away from writing. And with a new story to work on... well, let's just say I need to prioritize how much of my time I spend writing.

Honestly, my random style really comes up with such weird stuff. I originally intended for the 'fight the girl to get her' to apply to someone like Yuugi, but I guess this works too. Anyway, Ikuto can be said to have gotten every girl in the SDM except for Remi and Patchy, but that just remains to be seen... As for Keine, well, that WILL be settled eventually. I like making people wonder where I'm going to go with future chapters like this.

Okay, I don't know, or can't remember, what else I should talk about, so let's just end this here. If anything, please check out my FSN-HP crossover. Oh, and review this too.


	51. Chapter 50: Strange Threads of Fate

It's been two days since my fight with Meiling, and I'm still staying in bed. I can function just fine, apart from a great deal of body aches and some unsteadiness in my body. But since that might be a bit of risk considering the presence of fairies around the mansion, I decide to play it safe. Awakening does have its price... which is why Sakuya doesn't use it that often. The sound of my room door opening makes me look up from the scroll I'm reading.

"Well, this is a surprise." I say dryly when I realize just who has come to visit. "What brings you down here, Eirin?"

"I happened to overhear that someone I know very well got himself injured again." The Lunarian pharmacist answers in an equally dry voice.

"Glad to know you care... or is it only about a certain part of my anatomy?"

She raises an eyebrow expressively to indicate just how bad my comebacks are. "I care about every part except your brain, since that was a lost cause."

_Damn... _"I surrender." I choose to accept a quick defeat rather than let her blast me any further.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you not having a brain after all." Eirin takes the seat next to the bed I'm in. "How are you feeling?"

"Very, very stiff." I reply, then facepalm. "Not in _that_ sense. Sorry."

"Sometimes you make me want to explore the extent of your slipping up in your speaking when you're tired." Eirin says amusedly. "But I'm afraid you'd end up going into a long bout of depression afterwards."

I give her a wan smirk. "Always glad to amuse, Eirin. Always glad to amuse."

The pharmacist responds with a soft laugh. "I miss you sometimes, you know. The princess and Udonge as well. Arm." She beckons to me.

I extend my right arm out obediently. "Me too. Maybe I'll come by to stay for a short while after I leave the mansion." I watch as she places a finger on the artery at the wrist, measuring my pulse.

"You're welcome to." Eirin answers absently, her eyes examining my face even as her finger remains on the artery. "Okay, flex your arm."

She continues to inspect the rest of my body, asking me to bend or stretch the muscle currently being examined, until we're finally done. I notice that she glances a few times at my hips, clearly considering the act, but eventually she dismisses the idea.

"Severe muscle strain, as you already know. But you'll recover soon enough. By dinnertime, according to my estimation." Eirin digs into one of the pouches on her belt. "Here, take this pill."

She drops a small round black pill into my hand, and I only give it the briefest of suspicious looks before tossing it into my mouth and washing it down with a glass of water.

"No questions?" Eirin asks, amused.

"I'm sure I can trust you on this." I tell her, lying back in the bed. "You've never really hurt me before."

"It's actually poison." She tells me in a serious manner.

I just raise an eyebrow.

"Hm, no reaction at all." Eirin smiles, and leans over to kiss me on the lips. "I'll be waiting for when you come by," She whispers, a slight blush on her face.

Thus she leaves me with an uncomfortable pole to hide from the other inhabitants of the mansion. Thankfully it's early in the afternoon, and Flan is asleep. I don't want to be caught in this state by anyone else, most of all the Scarlet Devil's little sister.

"I~~kuto!" The door slams open to reveal a cheerful redhead, a bag in her hands.

I instantly pull my knees up and pretend that I was reading with my book resting on my thighs. "H-hi, Meiling."

The gate guard bounces over to me, and presents the bag with a cheerful smile. "I've brought you some meat buns from the village!"

"Ohh, thanks!" I accept the food gratefully and immediately bite into one. "Gahk!" I blow quickly to cool my burnt tongue.

"Hahahaha!" Meiling laughs out loud, but pats my thigh comfortingly. "Careful, it's hot."

"You flew rather fast, then, if it's this hot." I look down at the bun, then back up at her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Ikuto."

I hold the bun with one hand while placing the other on top of hers. Even through the thick blanket, I can feel the warmth soaking through; it's solid and comforting, and I smile back at her.

After a while, we start talking about the duel. Personally, I wouldn't mind if she never brought it up again, but since she wants to discuss it with me, I just play along.

"Your stamina has improved greatly, you know."

"All thanks to your training, Meiling. But still nothing compared to yours."

The redhead grins. "That's because you aren't training enough!"

"Oh, really? Not because you're a master of Ki?"

"Aw, come on, I'm sure you can make it to my level... eventually."

Who knew that Meiling had such a teasing streak in her? I grip her hand and pull, but she pulls back, making me put more force into it. Of course, no matter how much strength I exert from my disadvantageous position, there's no way I can budge Meiling in a straight-up challenge.

Which isn't what I was intending to do in the first place; suddenly switching from pull to push, I send a pulse of Purple Ki into her body with a twist of my wrist, sending her flying into the air, before I yank her down on top of me.

"Oof!" _Okay... maybe I didn't the last part through enough... _I wheeze a little as her body crashes down on top of mine, nearly crushing a very sensitive part. _Lucky it calmed down earlier..._

Meiling's brown eyes meet mine for a moment, the surprise evident in them. Then she smiles and embraces me around the shoulders, pressing her lips against my forehead.

"Geez... you're such a naughty little brother..." She chuckles.

I can feel her breasts squashed against my chest, despite the blanket between our clothes. _Mischievous older sister... _"Not little brother anymore, remember?"

Her eyes widen slightly, before crinkling with tender humor. "That's right..." She kisses me again, but this time on the lips. "I recognize you as a man now."

"You're making it sound like I was a kid all that time back then..." I mock-complain.

"You do act like one sometimes, remember?" Meiling reminds me with a hint of teasing in her voice, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"That's the way I am!" _Although it could be a side effect from staring Reisen in the eyes too much..._

I forgot she can see through me with her Ki reading. "You sound like you don't believe it."

"Should I try to prove my maturity with my body?"

"Should I use my knives to separate the two of you?"

We both freeze at the sound of the new voice, before our heads turn to look in the same direction like rusty mechanical dolls, directed by the instinct of 'move slowly and the danger will pass you by'. The instinct is a very good one, but it's useless if the source of that danger already knows where you are, and is waiting for you.

Sakuya is looking down at us from the other side of the bed, smiling with a tic in her left eye. "Meiling? May I ask why you're on top of Ikuto?" The maid asks sweetly, toying with a blue-hilted knife in one hand.

"Umm..." Beads of sweat start to form on the redhead's brow as she stares at the slowly spinning blade. "Ikuto's really comfortable...?" She tries.

Apparently that's the wrong answer, because Meiling receives a knife straight in the head, causing her to topple off me and off the bed, falling with a thump on the floor. I want to lean over and check if she's okay, but the instinct is still going strong. _Keep your eyes on the knife... you'll need the slightest warning in order to dodge it..._

"Ikuto." Sakuya calls my name crisply, causing me to bolt straight up in my bed.

"Y-Yes!"

"Come with me." Without waiting for a reply, Sakuya walks out of the room, ignoring the 'dead' body.

I quickly roll out of bed and check my clothes, calling over to Meiling, "You okay?"

"Yep, just fine." She calls back cheerfully.

Before I realize it, I breathe a sigh of relief. _She's alright... _Apparently, even though I know that Sakuya doesn't seriously throw her knives, seeing that up close (compared to the first time I met Meiling) gives it a realism that is hard to deny.

"You better hurry after her, or she'll get mad." Meiling advises.

"Got it."

As I hurry out of the room, I hear her say, "I'll just lie here taking my time to recover..."

_Sometimes I wonder if she sleeps on purpose or not..._

I manage to catch up to Sakuya at the top of the stairs leading down, skidding to a halt before the annoyed-looking maid.

"Well?" She demands.

"I have no regrets." I blurt out without thinking. "Meiling and I had an agreement on the outcome of our fight, and I was just exploring the limits."

"Is that how you think of all of us?"

"Hell no!" I say, shocked. "Every one of you are important to me! Every one!" _I'm really bad at putting my feelings into words..._

Sakuya doesn't seem convinced. "So how are you going to explain what I just saw?"

"It's difficult for me to treat everyone equally," I tell her quietly, "So I decided that whoever I'm with at the moment, would be the one I view as the most important."

She frowns. "Doesn't that come across as being fickle?"

"I'm broken." I admit honestly. "But that doesn't mean my feelings aren't genuine."

Without any warning, I suddenly wrap Sakuya in a tight embrace. She struggles a bit, but I press my body tightly against hers, transferring as much of my body heat to her as I can. The chain on my wrist seems to ring slightly, and I can somehow sense her confused emotions; dislike, outrage, jealousy, pity, but underlying it all, the basic emotion that formed the bond between us in the first place. She can sense it too, and her struggling ceases.

We stand there for a while before Sakuya speaks. "I wonder how does that heart-reading youkai find you..." I hear her murmur softly.

"She has some difficulty reading me." I reply at the same volume.

Her body shifts, and I feel her arms wrap around my waist and squeeze slightly. "You're a strange person, Ikuto. But somehow, for some reason, I like you."

I pull my head back slightly so I can meet her eyes. "I know," I tell her, "And I like you too."

Then we kiss. Slow, simple, with barely any lust involved.

And it's wonderful.

We spend the rest of the day together, walking around the mansion supervising the fairy maids at work, staying together in the same time without any of Sakuya's time stops occurring. Normally, with Sakuya managing the maids, they can do quite a bit of work, but with her attention diverted to me, most of the fairies take the opportunity to spy and giggle on us when they think we're not paying attention. The mansion certainly does get a bit dirtier, but she reassures me that it's perfectly alright for just a single day. I'm sure tomorrow, the fairy maids will remember the fear of the Vampire's Dog. Just because she likes someone else other than her mistress, doesn't mean she has lost her fangs.

Whatever medicine Eirin gave me is doing its work; by the time it comes for me to call Patchy and Koa to the dining room for the evening meal, I'm hardly aching at all.

"Patchy! Koa! It's dinnertime!" I call out as I walk through the spaces between the bookshelves, seeking the sorceress and her summoned succubus.

"Over here, Ikuto!"

I head over to where I heard Koa's voice come from, and find her in the central area with a book-reading Patchy, busy drawing a large spell circle on the floor.

"This is for your runes." Patchy informs me without looking up from her tome, "We'll be carrying it out tonight."

Part of me is yelling in joy, but instead I just nod and say, "After dinner then. Will you need any help with that, Koa?"

"I'm fine on my own, Ikuto," Koa replies, her attention focused on drawing out the magical formulas properly. "Go ahead first, Patchouli-sama, Ikuto."

"After I'm done with my book."

And so, I end up heading down for dinner by myself. It's worse than I expected...

Because the only one sitting there is Remi.

Sakuya pulls out a chair for me at the end opposite her mistress, before leaving to bring the food without saying anything to me. _This doesn't look good... _

"Ikuto, I think we're overdue for a long talk."

_I wouldn't mind if this didn't come for a long while. _"Of course," I say instead.

Food appears on our plates without Sakuya showing herself, and we start eating. I'm picking at my food while Remi takes delicate bites out of hers. She doesn't speak until we've both finished the main course, by which I'm sweating uncomfortably wondering just what is she planning to talk to me about.

"You've been rather busy recently." Remi suddenly says.

I tense up. "Yes?"

"Trying to poach my staff after my little sister?"

_It does seem that way, doesn't it? _"Poach is a little..."

"I don't take any attempt to steal Sakuya or Meiling away lightly." Her crimson eyes drill into mine.

"Uhh... I don't... think they'll let me in any case." I take a deep breath and meet her eyes without backing down. "You have very loyal servants."

She doesn't say anything, just keeps staring at me.

_Where's Flan? Did Remi send her away so she could talk to me alone? _I wonder.

"Perhaps it is because you..." I hear a murmur from her, missing the last part. But long experience with the vampire teaches me not to ask any further.

Dessert appears on the table, Sakuya somehow sensing the need to push the conversation along. _Conversation... _I scoff mentally as I dig into the pudding.

"Come to think of it..." I freeze at the casualness in Remi's tone. "It has been a while since I had you serve as my butler instead of Sakuya."

"Oh?" I say with barely disguised uncertainty.

Remi goes on, "A week would suffice. The day after tomorrow would be a fine day to start, of course?"

"Y-Yeah..." _That's damn long compared to the usual one day sessions!_

"You've done so enough times, so surely a bit more responsibility will be nothing for you."

"Of course, Lady Remilia." I reply, unable to stop myself from getting carried away by the flow.

"Good. Sakuya will fill you in on your duties after this." Remi wipes her lips with her napkin. "_Gochisousama-deshita._"

I just sit there not daring to move as the mistress leaves the room, my dessert forgotten on the table in front of me.

"Ikuto?"

"I'm dead, aren't I?" I say in reply to Sakuya's query without looking at her.

"Don't be so pessimistic." She scolds me lightly, but I hear something else in her voice.

Looking at her, it confirms my suspicions when I see what looks like a barely-restrained smile on her lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Of course not." But she doesn't stop smiling.

As I help Sakuya clean up, she proceeds to tell me about what's involved in one of her days of attending to Remilia. It's lucky that she gets free time off to take care of the mansion, but somehow I don't think it's going to be that easy for me. But for now, I have a magic ritual to undertake, and I'm not entirely sure I will come out safe.

* * *

><p>"Ikuto."<p>

_What? I want to sleep longer..._

"Ikuto."

_G'way. Let me sleep... just another five more-_

"If you don't wake up..."

"Mmmrph."

"I'm going to stab you."

I bolt up straight. "I'M UP!"

It's amazing how much of a wake-up call adrenaline can provide. Looking around, I realize I'm not in my bed, but somehow in the library. Besides that, I notice that I'm not only naked and covered in dried fluids, but sporting a very embarrassing physiological condition, especially so considering that Sakuya is the one who woke me up.

"I can see that." The maid says dryly, her vision angled downwards instead of meeting my eyes.

"Guh." I spin around to hide it from her, only to end up facing towards Koa.

The already dressed redhead immediately covers her eyes, but I can see her sneaking looks through her fingers. "Kyah! You're so bold, Ikuto-sama!"

_Oh god... _Rather than try to face away any further, I think quickly and summon the ice crystals in their compressed form, maneuvering them to float around my hips in a concealing manner. _Wait... _"Ikuto-_sama_?" I ask curiously.

"Yes~" Koa smiles brightly. "You were so energetic last night that I couldn't resist forming a contract with you!"

_Oh yeah... now I remember. _Last night, I headed down to the library after dinner to get my runes from Patchy. There was some explanation about how normal humans have resistance to magic, so if she had resorted to the normal way of tattooing runes, it would have taken really, really long. Which was why she roped me into a tantric ritual with Koa's assistance, where a simultaneous climax would have caused our respective powers to link together and increase, while decreasing my innate magical resistance, allowing Patchouli to inscribe the runes on my body. Except I can't really recall anything past a certain point... after Patchy shot me in the head when I wouldn't calm down. Judging by what I CAN recall, I think Koa must have ended getting pulled along, then...

I glance at Sakuya, who raises one eyebrow. "But aren't you bound to Patchy already? She summoned you, remember?"

"Oh, that's why it's only a provisional contract between us." The succubus explains, never dropping her smile.

"Provisional? What's involved with that?" I frown slightly. "Wait, don't succubi usually take souls?"

Koa's smile becomes even more... positive, is the most encompassing description I can use for all the attributes that increased, and she presses her hands together, tilting them slightly in an innocent begging posture. "That's possible too, but a certain body fluid would suffice. Like maybe, once every night?"

"That remains to be seen." I turn my head to look at Patchy, who has some bags under her eyes despite her normal appearance. "As for your previous question, the most likely result is an increase in your... appetite."

Somehow... this doesn't sound good for me. _She's probably referring to THAT appetite. _"Uh, huh."

"However, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh?"

"The purpose of what we did last night."

_Oh, right. _I lift up my wrists and look at them. _Wow... the runes are like a faint tan on my skin, but once I run energy through them... _The runes suddenly turn blue, and I can feel a breeze curling around my hands, even in this closed-in library. Looking at my feet, the runes on my ankles are reacting the same way. _Cool._

"Looks like it works." I turn to face Patchy, who nods. "Impressive, actually."

Patchy glances down, just like the other two did. "Your control over your crystals is impressive as well."

Wow, I didn't realize I was moving the crystals unconsciously; they floated in sync with my own movement, preserving what's left of my modesty.

"Perhaps you should get dressed." Patchy suggests.

"Kyah~" Sakuya chuckles as Koa squeals again.

I facepalm, but go to do as Patchy advises anyway.

Sakuya meets me outside my room once I'm in proper clothes. "Had fun last night?"

"You could say that." I mutter darkly. "Not the first time something like that happened to me anyway."

"Are you in need of sympathy?"

"Maybe." I grab her hand, feeling it squeeze mine right hand. _It's nice to hold her hand like this... _

I blink; for a moment it looks like Sakuya's hair is extremely long, and her skirt is a long blue dress instead. Then it's gone, and Sakuya looks just like she always did, not like that other... _familiar_... appearance. But that shouldn't be possible, because Sakuya never appeared in anything other than her usual maid uniform, apart from that dinner party.

Sakuya stops and looks at me. "Hm? Is there something wrong, Ikuto? You're staring at me strangely."

"No, it's just..." _Something's not right... _I look at my left wrist.

After the first chain changed into the ring, the second ring came after I stuck the key into my hand and turned it again. The first chip was from Iku. The second came from Flandre. The third came from Sakuya, but it's still blank. So is the fourth, which represents Meiling. Then why is there a fifth one with a book on it? And looking at it closely... there's a pair of bat wings on it. Is it supposed to represent Patchy? Or Koa? Does this indicate that I can bond with people through other means? To be honest with myself, I never expected to have this sort of link with Patchy; we may share a love of books and discovery, but our characters just seem too different. Despite all her research into the true nature of the key, I haven't really found out anything new about how it works besides the fact that it does.

_But what about Koa? I have a feeling that I awakened her to her succubus side. _

"It's just...?" Sakuya tugs on our connected hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Ikuto, there's something bothering you, isn't there?"

I look at her again and rub my eyes once more. _There's that hallucination again. _"Just feeling like I've forgotten something."

"Really..." She steps closer and leans in for a quick peck on my lips. "You're such a hopeless person, Ikuto..." The silver-haired maid teases, stepping back.

_I suppose... I can just forget about it for now... _I initiate the kiss this time, and she accepts it happily.

Later, after a light breakfast, I'm outside with Meiling watching on as I prepare to try out the runes. Taking a deep breath, I reach for my magic core and start channeling power to the runes. The dull brown markings turn blue, and the grass around me sways as wind gathers around my position, funneling down around my limbs and flowing out in the same direction they're pointing. Slowly... ever so slowly... I start to levitate off the ground.

"It works!" Meiling sounds surprised.

"That's my line." I tell her, keeping my hands aimed downwards so I still remain upright rather than-

The next thing I know, I'm slammed to the ground after a world-whirling flip.

"Ikuto! Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." _What the heck happened?_

"Your left leg suddenly jerked back, then you went flipping head over heel." Meiling informs me.

_I can't believe I forgot about my legs... _"Okay," I grunt as I get up, "Attempt number two."

During my repeated tries, I somehow get the same impression I did when I first started training: that I'm a glutton for punishment. Trying to work this set of runes effectively is like trying to ride a bicycle, except with much more propensity for damage; if not for my Ki kicking in to protect my body, I would have had dozens of bleeding scrapes all over.

But it pays off.

"Oh yeah! This works just nice!" I call out to Meiling as I skim over the lawn, the grass beneath my feet pressing down with the wind I'm channeling.

My right leg acts as the main support, bent to support my center of gravity, while the left leg is aimed slightly behind to provide the boost for the forward momentum. My hands are held out to the sides, regulating my balance with streams of air that I can alter at will to turn. At the maximum output, I can lift myself up a total of six feet off the ground, since the wind dissipates in strength the further out I push it; it's like standing on a pyramid of air based on Newton's Third Law, the base of the pyramid is built out of strong wind that can hold my weight, increasing in power the closer it gets to my legs. I think at close range, I can probably hit with about... damn, where's a calculator when you need one? It'll be enough to throw a man about ten meters back at least, with the combined force of a normal punch.

_It'll take a while before I can adapt this into something more than just moving around. _I try to lift myself up while in a pushup position, and my arms strain with the pressure of trying to control my balance. _This is like trying the same thing on an exercise ball... _

"Looks like you're having trouble." Meiling observes.

I answer with laughter. "I don't care, it's just another thing to work on mastering!"

I thrust one hand out in front of me, the other behind, performing the heavy palm strike that Meiling beat into me with my own permission. But this time, I channel my magic into the runes on both arms, and release a torrent of wind strong enough to warp the air slightly-

And crash into the ground once again. _Ow. Guess it's not easy to fire off an X-cannon like Tsuna does. _(1)

"That was quite powerful, Ikuto."

"What?" I lift my head up to look at Meiling, who's standing over me. _Woah... nice legs..._

"Look." She points somewhere over me, and I crane my neck around to see what she's pointing at.

The gates of the mansion that I had been aiming at are slowly vibrating... strong enough that I can hear a faint humming. My mind takes a while to process it, but then I realize it must have been ringing quite loudly previously; just how strong was the initial strike?

"Woah..."

"Alright!" Meiling suddenly exclaims, making me look at her with a bit of worry.

"Uh, what?"

"We'll be training really hard so you can get used to working these moves into your style!"

_Uh oh..._ "I'll be serving as Remilia's butler for a week starting tomorrow..." _Maybe she'll forget about it..._

"Okay, I'll wait!" Meiling gives me a cheerful smile.

_Doubtful. _I sigh and get to my feet. "Okay. Anyway, I'm going to try doing this outside. Want anything from the village?"

Meiling crosses her arms, cupping one of her elbows while that hand taps her chin thoughtfully. "Mmm..."

I wait for her to come to a decision.

"Can you get me some dango from that store?" She asks me hopefully.

I flash her a grin. "Sure. Let me get my money first." _What's left of it._

It's a random whim, but I listen to it; channeling Ki and magic into the required areas, I crouch down and jump upwards, enhanced muscles and wind propelling my body up high enough to grab onto the balcony railing on the third floor. Even then, the force is enough to swing me over to land heavily on the tiles.

"I'll be back soon!" I wave down at a surprised Meiling, then dash off to my room.

Still, I don't dare to try jumping from the fourth floor just yet. Third floor's still fine though; I execute a smooth landing in front of her from the same balcony I used to enter the mansion. Before she can say anything, I flip her a smarmy salute and blast off on my new wind boosters, jumping the gate with another huge burst of wind.

_Wheeeeeee~ _Even after all the magic I spent on practicing earlier, I still have slightly more than half left to use. _Alright, first up, the village!_

"Heyyy! Is that you, Second?" Someone I haven't seen for a while darts onto the road up ahead as I come off the bridge.

I risk a quick wave back to Cirno as I speed by her, wobbling dangerously for a moment. "Hi-howyadoin-seeya!"

Seconds later, she comes blasting after me. "Are we having a race? You're on! Prepare to lose against the Strongest!"

_So that's the way she sees it, huh? Fine, let's give it a shot!_ I angle my right arm out slightly, and shift my legs accordingly; centrifugal force pulls on me slightly as I cut right, going off the path and into the forest.

Instantly I realize I've done another jump from easy to lunatic difficulty. While this place isn't really part of the Forest of Magic, it's still a forest, with trees closely packed together. Not a good place to go at high speed with low control. Within five seconds of entering it, I'm reacting on pure combat-trained instinct, adjusting my magic output frantically as I move my limbs around at a breakneck pace to avoid slamming myself into a heavy, solid trunk. As it is, I'm still getting hit by multiple low branches and shredding my way through bushes. Without my Ki, I'm getting really beat up.

_Branch. Ow. Another branch. Ow. Youkai. Dodge! _"Coming through!" _Bush. Ow. Small fairy. Ow. _"Sorry!" _Branch. Ow. Branch again. Ow. Yet another branch. Ow. Bush. Near miss- BRANCH! _"Ow!"

"Aye'm catching up!" Cirno calls, much closer already.

_This is starting to seem like a really bad idea. _Spotting a clear line, I quickly change course and head along the route. _Okay... think fast, I zigzagged my way through the forest, have no idea what direction the village's in, so- TREE!_

Instantly, I thrust both hands forward and turn on the power full blast, but it's a bad idea; the rapid deceleration would strain my body muscles, and I go with the flow by lowering my hands slightly, aiming downwards instead. For a brief moment, I recall some game where the character had to run up a tree trunk and dodge the broken branches in his way, as I do something of the same while relying on my hands' output to lift me up. (2)

A barrage by a thick foliage, then-

Sunlight.

I blink at the sight before me, triggering the slow fall ability in my ring as I take in my surroundings. In the distance, imposing as always, stands Youkai Mountain. Around me is a sea of greenish-orange, a forest that has yet to go entirely into the autumn (What is Shizuha doing?), but still shining brilliantly with beauty nonetheless. Next to the mountain, a field of yellow dotted with black; Yuuka's field continues to deny the turn of the seasons. Turning slowly, I can see the spindly green forest that hides Eientei, and there- the smoke plumes, that's where the village is.

"Hah! Aye win! Aye'm the strongest!" Cirno pops out from the tree cover, celebrating a victory that only her mind can perceive.

"How've you been, Ninth?" I ask the cheerful ice fairy.

"Having fun!" She spins around in place, scattering snow dust around her. "Aye froze... um," She starts counting on her fingers, then holds out eight of them, "Six frogs today!"

"Really." _Bet Suwako has something to say about that._

"But then that frog girl came and hit me with a ring before Aye could freeze my eighth!" Cirno crosses her arms grumpily. "Why does she have to spoil my fun?"

_Yep, she did. _"Well, maybe you could go look for Dai or Rumia to have fun now?"

The fairy perks up almost immediately. "Hey, that's a good idea! Aye'll go do that now!" She darts back into the trees, leaving me descending slowly alone.

_Let's try a bit of wind to push me in- _I end up dropping abruptly.

Apparently I can't slow my falling and use the wind at the same time. At least I know which direction the village is in now, so I can head over there without any worries.

After at least twenty minutes, I finally reach the village, panting furiously with my clothes ripped and torn. _Head over there without any worries? Tell that to the three youkais who I had to fight off without my Keyblade! _I think furiously as I stop against the gate for a rest.

A man comes up to me, having noticed my state. "Woah, what happened to you?"

"Run-in with... some unfriendly... types..." I wheeze.

The man whistles. "Need any help?"

I nod, deciding to just follow things for the time being.

"You know, Boss, I think staying at that mansion has dulled my sense for danger." I tell my favorite bartender over a mild drink later. "I seem to just do things without caring that they might be potentially risky."

"Took you that long to realize that?" Boss snorts, running a cloth over one of his bottles.

"Guess so. I mean, I've been around them long enough that I start to forget just how much power they pack." I swirl the liquid in my cup around, then take another sip.

He raises an eyebrow. "But you were training there, weren't you? Surely the wild youkais outside the village should be easy for you."

"Easy... you could say that." I take a gulp this time. "Unfortunately, there are youkais that just go for small fry who can't really fight back," I gesture on my left to indicate one group, "And youkais that enjoy fighting strong challengers." I gesture to my right next, to indicate the type of youkai I ran into earlier.

"So you can't tell the difference?"

"Not yet," I sigh. "There's a great difference in their skill levels." _Damn second group is danmaku-trained. Didn't help that some fairies decided to join in... against me._

"So what else is new?" Boss asks, switching from glass-wiping to counter-wiping.

"Portable fan!" I point my hand at him and let loose a gentle breeze. "Useful for hot weather!"

"Woah, that IS useful." The man reacts with some amazement, before returning to his normal expression. "But it's already autumn. The weather's not hot anymore."

I nod. "Yeah, it's actually meant to help me travel around faster."

He returns my nod. "I see. So you're planning on going onto some other place soon?"

Shrugging, I polish off the remainder of my drink. "Probably."

_Just have to sleep with Sakuya, Meiling, and Remi first. _

I facepalm. _Stupid personality._ "I was thinking of Myouren Temple, actually."

Boss stops moving. "You sure about that?" He asks, somewhat tentatively.

I blink at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"You know, I heard you have to be with a woman every night. Won't you have to stop that if you want to stay there?"

_Stupid tengu rumors. _"I'm not that much of a sex maniac, you know. Besides, I can control myself."

"If you say so. But I heard that they already have a guest."

_That's news to me. _"Huh, who?"

"I don't really know. It's a guy, but he rarely leaves the temple. I heard that even the tengu can't get any information about him."

A whistle of awe escapes my lips. "That's... I can't believe Aya can't get any info." _Should ask her about that guy._

"Aya... you mean the tengu who does Bunbunmaru, right? She tried, apparently."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure if it's true or not, but she couldn't locate the guy in question even after invading the place."

"Hmm..." I rub my chin thoughtfully. _Is he very good at hiding? Hard to tell... even in a small place like Gensokyo, word of mouth tends to get distorted very quickly. _

Boss gives me a look that says 'I know what you're thinking'. "Going to try your luck?"

"Maybe. I'm going to be tied up for the next week, so if I'm going to do so, it'll be today. But I've already got an errand waiting for me."

"Well, suit yourself." He shrugs, resuming his wiping.

I get up from my seat. "Thanks for the drink. I better get going."

"Come in more often than just whenever you feel like it, okay?" Boss reminds me.

"Sure."

My next stop is at another old friend's place: Akyuu's. The Child of Miare actually smiles widely in welcome when I show up in her garden, putting aside her brush and scrolls to ask about my time in the SDM. I give an account of what I can remember, excluding certain details that are meant to be kept bedroom-private. She seems pleased to hear that my training is paying off for some reason, but before I can ask about it, Akyuu starts telling me about things in the village.

The harvest went fine, not many youkai attacks on those unwary villagers who were caught outside the village area, some families had children while others lost members to old age. Reisen's still doing her job of restocking the medicine boxes, Sanae came through trying to get more faith for her goddesses, Suika made a few appearances as a miko, crow tengus are starting to show more activity as their annual newspaper competition is about to start, overall the same old Gensokyo life.

"How's Keine?" I ask, a bit cautious at bringing up the half-youkai who took me into her home for a period of time. _Still don't know why she reacted like that..._

Akyuu pauses and looks at me oddly. "She's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, she did let me stay with her..." I trail off, unsure of what to say next.

The young girl shakes her head, and changes the subject to another village matter. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with Keine, but it continues to poke at my thoughts even after I bought the dango and headed back to the mansion to pass them to a pleased Meiling, to the point that I only recall my intention to visit Myouren Temple after dinner. It didn't even cross my mind until I was nearly asleep that my control over my new abilities were almost unconscious by the time I came back.

* * *

><p>Sakuya wakes me up early so she can start giving me lessons in how to cater to Remi's- I mean, Lady Remilia's wishes properly. Of course I've done my time as a butler before, but most of my tasks during those times were simple, like serving tea or fetching items. What I'm going to do now is slightly different.<p>

"First, you'll have to wake Milady up the second hour past noon," lectures Sakuya. She sketches out a layout on a sheet of paper. "She'll expect you to help her dress. Her clothes are in the dresser here," She indicates a small box against what represents a wall.

"The same dress as usual?"

My maid girlfriend nods. "Right down to her underwear."

My body twitches. "So I get to see her naked?" I ask.

Sakuya delivers a chop to my head. "Focus. After helping Milady dress, you'll escort her to one of the four typical places for her afternoon tea with snacks. Of course, I'll be on hand with them, but you'll have to do the serving personally."

"Alright." _Did that before..._ "What next?"

"That depends. You might do nothing strenuous if Milady chooses to spend her whole day here, but if she chooses to go out, then you'll have to follow her with a parasol to shelter her from the sun."

"That's going to be a bit difficult... especially since I can't fly."

"Milady has chosen to walk a few times before." Sakuya reassures me.

"Okay..." I say slowly, turning the information over in my mind. "What about afterwards?"

"For dinner, I'll leave the serving to you, unless she chooses to have her meal outside. You remember the proper etiquette?"

I take a moment to revise what I know... _Sakuya always uses her time stops to do the serving... but yeah. _"I think I can. Just need a refresher."

Her head dips in a nod. "Afterwards then. As for post-dinner, she might choose to go out again, or engage you in one of your usual games of chess. And after that, she might decide to have a moonlight tea party, so you will have to escort and serve."

_Pretty much just acting like a servant... _"So... what about if she commands me to fight for her?"

Sakuya gives me an 'Are you joking?' look. "Then you do so."

"Alright." _Stupid question... _

We spend the morning going through and practicing various situations that I might encounter, including waking up a dozing Meiling in the role of a staff supervisor (She preferred my way, since I made sure to miss), with Sakuya driving me relentlessly to perfect my actions. I slipped a little into my impersonal mode in order to deal with her harshness, but I can understand her motivation; it reflects poorly on her if I do a poor job, and besides, if she used to act like that, surely I can get away with it a bit...

After a light lunch fixed by yours truly, it's time to enter the lair of the vampire. _Here goes... _I think, before rapping lightly on the dark wood and turning the handle to let myself in.

Like the last time I came (3), the place is dimly lit, most of the afternoon sun shut out by dark red curtains. I step up to the bed and call out to the slumbering occupant within.

"Mmmwhuh...?"

My lips twitch. _Damn, that's a rather cute reaction. _"Lady Remilia, it is time to wake up."

A reply comes back in the form of a mumble. "...Sakuya?"

"It is Ikuto today, Lady Remilia." I remind her of the arrangement she herself decided. "I am here to help you dress."

The covers surge upwards, then slip off to reveal a drowsy Remilia, whose nightdress is slipping down on one side. "Oh... okay..." She murmurs, rubbing her eyes with one hand. Then those eyes finally lock onto me.

The next thing I know, I'm dodging her red bats and needles. "Please calm down, Lady Remilia-AAAH!"

"Wh-wh-why are you in my ROOM?" Remilia screeches, one hand holding the blanket up to her chin while the other flings danmaku at me.

"I'm supposed to be your butler for the week!" I cartwheel and drop down to all fours to avoid another bunch of bullets.

Remilia's hand freezes in mid-swing. "...now that you mention it..." She says uncertainly.

I finally stop my dodging, breathing a little hard from the sudden burst I needed. _Oh goody. She finally remembers. _"May I see to my duties now, Lady Remilia?"

"U-uh, yes... of course."

I doubt I'll admit it right this moment, but it's damn satisfying to see Remilia having a charisma break. Even though she regained most of her usual haughty composure while I help her get dressed, I think having my presence close to her when she's naked is unsettling her a little; I felt her tremble a little when my hands made contact with her skin. She relaxes when I start combing her hair, though. Really, I wonder how would she apply makeup and all that without any help, considering that she can't be seen in a mirror.

And so, my week of servitude begins. The first day ends uneventfully, as Lady Remilia chooses to spend the whole day in the mansion. I'm kept busy catering to her wishes, like serving her tea, massaging her feet, playing with Flan to prevent her little sister from getting jealous... at about three AM, I accompany her up to her room, undress her and help her into her nightdress. But before I can do anything else, she leaps into her bed and pulls the covers over her... coincidentally hiding her sleepwear appearance.

"Have a good sleep, Lady Remilia."

"Just get out already!"

The second day is quite a bit harder, since the toll on my body clock is starting to set in, and Koa surprises me in the morning to feed off my energy. Lady Remilia sends me out on errands in the afternoon, and while I run into Youmu and Reisen, I don't hang around to talk, but try to finish as fast as possible. She doesn't seem to enjoy the difference between me and Sakuya when it comes to speed, so I'm set to cooking dinner while Sakuya does the serving. After dinner, she orders me to play a game of chess with her, which predictably results in my utter defeat, before putting me to read a story to Flan while she watches the moon. Once again, she avoids letting me get a good look at her in her nightgown when she turns in for the morning. Sakuya gives me a light peck on the lips before I do the same, and when I go to the Sanzu River, Komachi assumes the smirk on my face is a sign for her to jump my bones.

It doesn't seem like staying awake affects my spirit traveling. Still, Koa wakes me up again with her feeding off my energy. Of course it feels good, but really, I like to have my rest.

The third day sees me following Lady Remilia out to Hakurei Shrine, where she engages in small talk with Reimu and Marisa while I peel oranges for her. She later sends me back to the mansion for ingredients, and the five of us (Suika came back from wherever she went) had some hotpot for dinner. Both of the heroines seem to find it funny that I've been... conscripted into butler duty. Marisa comes up with the smart idea of having an after-dinner danmaku battle to help digest the food, and I'm treated to a colorful fireworks display, complete with rainbow barrier blocking a carelessly-aimed Master Spark. The final result leaves all three girls exhausted, and I pack Lady Remilia back to her mansion for a proper washing up.

"Ikuto."

"Yes, Lady Remilia?" I respond, gently scrubbing her arm as she lies back in the bathtub.

"You're doing a good job. Continue as you are."

"Thank you." Impulsively, I plant a small kiss on her fingers, and she snatches back her hand with a flushed expression.

I finally get used to the new timing on the fourth day, and I hardly feel drowsy despite being kept on standby nearly the whole day, unlike how I normally acted before. Yuuka comes by, and ends up getting into a fight against the mistress when she tries to get me into a maid uniform again. The two powerhouses end up wrecking the entire entrance hall with their spell card battle, and at the end of it, Lady Remilia scores a narrow win, and I get to stay in my butler uniform. Still, I think I'm getting too emotionless about this butler thing...

"Lady Remilia. Kazami-san." I hand out wet towels to both of them.

"I gave you permission to call me Yuuka, didn't I?"

"Unfortunately, in my current role as Lady Remilia's butler, I have an image to uphold," I tell the flower youkai innocently. "Thus, I must refuse."

Yuuka eyes me with a suspicious look on her face, then turns to face Remilia. "Got him broken to the leash already, have you?"

"Not entirely." Remilia rolls her shoulders. "Ikuto. Come give me a massage."

"Yes, Lady Remilia."

A few minutes later, Yuuka speaks up again. "Could I borrow his services for a short period of time?"

_Oh shit. _I try not to let her request shake me, but my hands unconsciously tense up a little, and Remilia glances at me over her shoulder.

"Shall we negotiate?" She offers.

_Is this revenge for last night?_

After several minutes of fierce offers and counter-offers, all I have to do is to just give Yuuka a massage of her own, which is actually quite okay. I mean, compared to trying to survive a fight against her, this is nothing! NOTHING! I just hope that if I ever stay with Yuuka, this will be all she makes me do for her...

Eventually, Yuuka leaves and I have to give Remilia another sponge bath, leaving Sakuya with another set of clothes to mend. Flan interrupts, asking for some of my blood; has it really been that long since I fed her? Whatever the case, I oblige her and bite my finger so that she can feed.

"Okay, that's enough."

"But it's been so long..." whines Flan.

Remilia suddenly speaks up. "Ikuto is right, Flan. He'll give you some more tomorrow. Go and play elsewhere."

"Okay..." Flan leaves, sullen.

_Oh right, now I remember why I stopped. Because I don't have Blaze Revive to-_

"Let me have some as well, Ikuto."

"Yes, Lady Remilia." I reply without really thinking, and move my hand over to her face. _Wait, WHAT?_

I look around, and finally realize that the Scarlet Devil herself is suckling on my bleeding finger. But before I can pull away, she releases me and licks her lips contemplatively.

"Hmm... I can see why Flan enjoys your blood." She smacks her lips. "It's more of an acquired taste for me."

I have no idea what to say, so I just keep silent.

"I'm not going to feed on you every day, so don't worry."

I bow to her, and resume cleaning her petite body. Later that night, Sakuya visits me in my room, and after making out for some time, we share a bed for the first time. I take it slow with her, and she lets me know how much she appreciates it. We eventually fall asleep nestled together, contented smiles on our lips.

The fifth day is uneventful as well. The whole mansion turns out on top of the roof for an autumn gathering, with snacks and stuff as we appreciate the bright orange colors of the forest around the lake, and the fairies hold a danmaku battle royale between themselves while we watch on. After Lady Remilia turns in early that night, I meet up with Sakuya for another round... only to find Meiling spying on us. In a strange twist of fate, instead of having one bed partner, I end up with two. Komachi seems to find it funny when I try to recount to her how it happened afterwards, though.

On the sixth day, something unexpected happens in the early afternoon.

"Sakuya, return Ikuto his key."

My jaw drops even as the maid hands me the small piece of metal I gave to her all those months ago (Part of me notices that she's trying to hide that her hips are sore). "Wh-why?"

Lady Remilia doesn't answer, but points outside, somewhere in the direction of the village. "Ikuto. I want you to head outside, and stay out there until the time is right."

"Huh?"

"Ikuto. Go."

"Uh... yes, Lady Remilia."

At first, the thing that comes to mind is that she wants some alone time with Sakuya... to reassert her dominance over my maid lover and remind her who her mistress is. After I've gotten away from the Misty Lake and into the Bamboo Forest, I start thinking with my actual head; Remi doesn't usually do stuff like this, but if she sent me out, then maybe there might be an incident...

_Oh god, she doesn't expect ME to resolve an incident, does she? _I consider the idea for a while, then discard it. _Nah... it's too unlikely. So what else... Aha! Her fate power! That means... she set something up for me outside the mansion? Uh oh... big UH OH._

After waiting for a few minutes, I start feeling stupid since nothing big happened. In the end, I decide to just go exploring around the places I know.

Eirin and Kaguya greet me warmly when I drop in, and I spend a few minutes recounting what I went through so far in my butler job. Alice welcomes me for tea, and I make excuses to leave early when she starts fiddling with the cloth band around her neck. No one seems to be around at Hakurei Shrine when I go there, though there's a pile of tengu newspapers. Just as I'm about to leave, Aya comes by to drop off a copy, and advises me to move soon... she doesn't come out and say it, but she's clearly hoping to use the account I usually give after moving to a new place as a way to boost her readership. If I recall correctly, the deadline for the decision is just before winter...

As I sit on the steps to read, I notice that there hasn't been much of note lately. Aya still hasn't managed to get any information on the guy who was said to be staying at Myouren Temple, though she did some good work in investigating his presence. _Investigative journalism? Or criminal peeping? There's definitely a guy staying there, but the Myouren people aren't talking._ I turn over to the next page. _Another outsider came in... doesn't seem to be like mine, but Aya doesn't think too well of him. According to this, he's quite rude and abrasive... not the sort of guy I'd like to know._

In the end, it doesn't seem like anything is going to happen from waiting around, so I take my cue from some of the old text adventure games I played before, and try to trigger an event by going somewhere else. Based on my experience, the event usually occurs in the latest area to be unlocked, so...

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelp, barely ducking the blade aiming for my neck.

Just how did the path to Myouren Temple come to be guarded by some guy in full-plate black armor and wielding twin blades? He nearly managed to get me the first time while I was traveling using the wind runes, giving me a nice shallow cut across the chest.

I charge from below with an uppercut, but he jumps back out of the way, and attacks again. _Damn, this guy is fast! _

The armor looks kind of bulky... resembling obsidian in texture, but this guy moves around like it weighs nothing on him at all, and when I try slipping around him to find a point where he would be hard put to bend his arms to block, it turns out to be a failed plan as he twists around to deflect my spear hand strike.

_Alright, calm down. Don't care about why he's trying to kill you. Read his moves, adapt accordingly. _I focus my vision on the body, looking for cues that precede an attack. _Duck, sidestep left, jump, flip back from the follow up, le-_

Something heavy hits me in the chest and sends me hurtling back. "HARHK!" I choke, skidding across the ground when I land.

Whoever that guy was, he's experienced. I barely read that kick and- _What the hell? The signs that were there before... shit! He was faking those!_

It's too risky to try dodging; instead of stepping back from his next strike, I step in, and intercept his slash by stopping his gauntleted grip. This close, I can see the deadly edge of the blade up close, and while I sense no magic from it, it has some unearthly quality to it, like it wasn't some ordinary weapon that any smith could make. The flat of the blades have a dark tone to them, ribbed with green veins, and even though it has been cleaned quite a bit, I can smell blood on them. Looking up to meet his eyes, I realize that his helmet has been fitted with white eyepieces that prevent me from getting any clue as to his identity.

_This can't be the guy that was staying at Myouren Temple! No way they'd let a bloody killer in there! _"WHO ARE YOU!" I yell.

His reply is to shove back at me with a loud cracking sound. Going with the flow to reduce the force, I realize that the sound came from the ground, which is now severely cracked under his feet. This isn't any simple opponent that I can beat with just my fists and feet.

Landing with a thump, I suddenly recall that I'm not exactly unarmed, as a sensation against my thigh reminds me... that I have my key. _Do I have the-_

A blur of black barrels towards me, and I yank out the key, materializing- after so long- Future Gazer; it feels extremely familiar in my grip. Bracing my feet with Ki, I meet weapon with weapon in a loud, ringing clash. We push against each other, his two swords crossed against the shaft of my weapon in an attempt to scissor it off. I don't know if my Keyblade can be cut, but I'm not taking the risk.

"WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME!" I demand, channeling Purple Ki into my long-missed Keyblade and deflecting away the weapons to create an opening.

I feint a stab, and he twists away, but before I can follow it up, he intercepts my strike before it can start. _That's... what I did! Is he learning from me?_ He pulls his other arm back for a swing that would bisect me, and I quickly perform a palm strike to the chest, putting all the Green Ki I can to throw him back. _Now! Burst Needle!_ I inject myself in the thigh.

This time, I attack first, using Phantom Blossom to boost my speed. As much as I'd like to try out the Keyblades of Flan, Sakuya, Meiling, or Patchy, it might take me too long to get used to calling them out, so I stick to what I'm familiar with.

My first swing causes him to stagger a little even though he blocks it, and a slight giving of way tells me that I managed to make his feet sink into the ground with the force of that attack. Amazingly, he's using only one arm to defend, and the other comes for me in a counterattack, which I parry away with my enhanced speed.

_Target the arms! _I slash for his limbs, but he deftly avoids them, switching one of the blades around in his grip to block some of my attempts to disable him. _Oh wait, cutting with my Keyblade doesn't work that way. _

I'm rustier than I recall, but not as bad as I expected after all that time. Still, it's not enough to even land a blow on this guy, even with my abilities boosted by Ki and injection. It's like he knows where I'm going to strike before I do...

_No way, he can't be another satori, can he? There's no third eye! _I duck another swing and go for his legs, only to miss again as he dances out of the way. _Alright, time to try a flurry!_ _**-Sakura Falling!-**_

Just as I begin the first swing, the man hunches up and turns his weapons sideways, placing them in front of him and shielding himself with the flat sides. A cacophony ensues as my swings mostly land on them, few even making it through to his armor, where the cuts are so light even a fairy could shrug them off. Halfway through my maximum limit, I quickly break off rather than waste any more energy, and retreat a short distance to observe further. The few petals that I managed to get out of him fade away to leave him standing seemingly unaffected. He holds his defense for a few moments longer, then flick his wrists to reverse the grips on his blades again, before sheathing it behind him and dropping his hands to his sides.

"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" I ask again, keeping Phantom Blossom ready. _What the heck? Who puts away his weapon in the middle of a fight? I could take him now... _

My body tenses further when he suddenly points at me with his left hand.

When he speaks, it sounds oddly familiar, but I'm sure I've never heard someone speak that guttural and slow before. It takes me a while to decipher what he's saying "_Remember. Keine._"

_Keine? Why is this guy saying her name? _I blink as I recall the last time I met the were-hakutaku. "...you!" I breathe, "You were the one who threw that rock at me?"

No movement at first, but then his covered face dips in what is unmistakably a nod, and he lowers his pointing hand.

The next thing I know, is that my body has reacted to a sudden attack, settling into a blocking stance set in my body memory. What surprises me isn't his sudden burst of speed, or the increase in power; he didn't even use _iaijutsu _(4) with his twin blades. No, the thing that is causing my eyes to widen in shock is the new weapon he's using.

A red Keyblade with a malevolent aura. There's no mistaking that bit.

Before I can get a good look at its features, he's attacking again. At a much faster rate; scarlet blurs are all I see as he pummels me with repeated strikes, and I can only defend frantically. _How? How can he be this fast? Phantom Blossom, Burst Needle, Ki, and I'm forced to defend only? WHY DOES HE HAVE A KEYBLADE? _He's forcing me back at an increasing rate, and more than a few times, his weapon slips past my guard to graze me, draining me the way my Keyblade does with a burst of red dots.

I try to think of a way to get out of this, but I... I can't remember if I've got any Keyblade that can help me surpass this! Damn, so I did decline from the lack of practice! That just leaves...

It's a random thought in the panic of battle, but I do it anyway. Channeling all the magic I have remaining into my hands, I unleash a heavy blast of wind at point-blank range, right in his chest.

And it works; the explosive impact sends the two of us flying away from each other, going really, really far with the amount of force involved.

I want to know. I want to know who that guy is, why was he there, what connection he has with Keine, why does he have a Keyblade. But I restrain myself.

And run from that battle.

This isn't a friendly danmaku spar, this isn't a fight against someone who won't kill me if I lose. And I know for sure that I will lose if I continued.

So I flee, back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. To lick my wounds. Turn my key back over to Sakuya. Wonder uselessly about the guy I fought. In the end, I come to one sure conclusion.

Goddammit, Yukari.

* * *

><p>(1) Hitman Reborn's main character's special move. Tsuna needs to support himself with a backward-pointing flame or Newton's Third Law kicks his ass.<p>

(2) One of the Naruto Narutimate Hero games, forgot which.

(3) The summer at the beach when Yukari gapped the mansion there.

(4) The Japanese art of drawing one's blade. Usually very fast, and can be applied to surprise attacks.

I know I said I'd do an X-chapter for this one, but then I realized it wouldn't seem right if the H scenes came BEFORE the story scenes. It doesn't help that I keep getting distracted by the Internet and other fanfictions... I was intending to do something of a fortnightly update at the slowest, but being at work really takes away the time I have to type, and I'm spending weekends on my other story. It doesn't help that as mentioned many times previously, my muse works on and off at random.

So yeah, Ikuto finally got to Patchy & Koa, Sakuya, then Meiling. Eventually he'll get to Remi... but the question is how? Even I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to write that part. Speaking of X chapters, this purge by the FF people in charge is something that seems a bit excessive, considering that they could do a better job of keeping those too young out. Logically speaking, thanks to my segregation of material, I could transfer all my X chapters elsewhere while leaving the main gist of the story on FF. But I would like to say that I'm a lazy guy, and won't do anything until the story is actually deleted. So there.

Anyway, I've introduced another mystery to the plot. A new guy who's staying at Myouren Temple. An outsider who has just come into Gensokyo. And another guy who has a Keyblade of his own. I'd like to hear your theories on these.


	52. Chapter 51X: Banquet in Scarlet

Totally forgot about doing this before...

Due to community guideline violation, these chapters have been taken down, etc. Lazy to find another place to upload them, so don't wait up for it.

On a side note, my muse has deserted me while I'm off reading even more fanfiction, so any future updates to this or other fics of mine will be delayed.


	53. Chapter 52: Escape from Where Again?

I open my eyes and turn over slightly to see whose bed I'm sharing this time. Disheveled blond hair... ah, Flan. Then who's on the other side of me? I only need to glance up to realize that I'm in Remi's room. Mumbling unintelligibly, I crawl out of bed and head over to the attached bathroom after dressing myself. After I finished washing my face, I take a good look at myself in the mirror.

_It's today then. _I think to myself.

Ever since I tussled with that black armored guy on the road to Myouren Temple, I've been training hard and thinking about how to beat that guy. But at the same time, my bonds with the inhabitants of the mansion had grown much deeper, and the emotions that came with it drove me to try and please them as much as I could, before the time came for my inevitable departure.

_And look how THAT turned out... _I study the bags under my eyes. _How many hours of full sleep did I get last time without somebody wanting to crawl into my bed? _"Something's definitely going on here." I say to my reflection.

Koa's sneaking into my room, Flan wanting to play games of a more 'mature' nature, Meiling's direct come-ons, Sakuya's shy requests, and even Remi's tsundere ordering... my body's going to break down if this keeps up. The last time I had a full night of unbroken sleep was at least ten days ago. I've been going along with everyone's wishes, but this is starting to- no, it's already out of hand.

I need to see Patchy for help. She's the only one who hasn't made a move since the first time. Coming out of the bathroom, I cast a cautious look at the snoozing Scarlet sisters before slipping out of the room as quietly as I can.

_But first, I need a proper bath to wash off the sweat. _I make my way back to my room, where I fill up the bath and sink myself into cool, awakening water. _Ahh... this feels refreshing..._

No, no! I don't have time to dally about here! I need to consult Patchy ASAP! Giving myself a quick scrub down, I get out of the bath, dry and dress myself. Then I exit my room, and go into the next.

I've noticed that some of the secret passageways are direct routes to other areas of the mansion, with no connection to that central nexus point, and after taking a risk and exploring some of those, I've started making use of them. The one I'm currently accessing happens to lead straight down to the first floor, where I can get to the library.

The trigger to the secret door requires me to pull this apparently-damaged bell pull, while pressing on a wood carving at waist level. With a soft click, a rectangular section of the wall sinks in slightly, and slides to the side to reveal a dark corridor. Murmuring the incantation to create a small mote of light from my extended finger, I step into it, pulling on the chain located on the inside to close the door.

Honestly, with Sakuya's space manipulation of the mansion, it's really hard to figure out just how the secret passageways connect their separate locations. Take those ballrooms for example, I know she raises the ceilings to be higher than their original height. So I can go down a short flight of stairs, and wonder just how did I descend ten meters when I look up after exiting the passageway. It's at times like this that I keep my mind on Sanae's oft-used phrase.

Speaking of Sanae, or more specifically, the other residents of Gensokyo, there's been more interest in the identity of the guy staying at Myouren Temple, especially with more tengus getting wind of the possible scoop for their competition. Yet somehow the guy is no longer there; Ichirin and Nazrin (huh, maybe I should refer to them as the Rins), the two members who are the most public, are keeping mum, and some of the tengus who snuck in have failed to find any hint of his presence in the temple, unlike what Aya managed to discover before. She's pretty annoyed that some people are starting to accuse her of lying about that.

The obvious person to question would be Yukari, but since she can't be found when she doesn't want to be, it's a no go. Even asking Reimu for help in contacting the gap youkai doesn't work; Rinnosuke told me about one time when his heater ran out of fuel and Reimu helped to get Yukari's attention by messing with the Great Hakurei Border slightly, but that just seems too risky for anyone but the most desperate. I'm fully expecting Aya to start going around with fried tofu anytime now... (1)

The light from my finger finally falls onto the exit, a narrow panel of wood. For this one, the lever to open it is near the bottom, and the marking indicates that the entire passageway was built by kappas. Well, it certainly is different from the other one, since this secret passage is not only cleaner, but it actually has ventilation. Hmm... maybe I should ask Nitori about letting me see the kappas' secret underground complex... they really fit the mad scientists mold.

Bending down, I pull on the slightly dusty lever, and it swings open with a series of almost inaudible clicks. With my other hand, I dig my fingers into the vertical groove near the left corner, and tug. The panel slides open smoothly, and I stand up and step out of the passageway.

_For mad scientists, they really go with the clichés... _I watch the grandfather clock slide back into place as the spring mechanism (generalizing it, since I don't really understand what sort of stuff goes into kappa work) runs out. _Okay, just have to head down the corridor and turn right, and I'll be at the library. Hopefully I don't run into any...one..._

When I turn my head to look in the direction I intend to take, I spot Sakuya at the same time she spots me, and she instantly blushes. Realizing I'm trapped by the one inhabitant whom I cannot escape from no matter what, I act casual and approach her.

I greet her first. "Good morning, Sakuya."

"G-Good morning, Ikuto."

"Nice day, isn't it?"

"Yes..." She glances up at me, a visible blush on her face.

_Not good... _"Shall we cook lunch together today? It's been a while since we did."

That invitation makes her smile. "That is a good idea. Is Milady awake?" Sakuya asks quietly.

I shake my head. "Not yet. I'm heading to the library before I go out to train with Meiling. Is there anything you need help with afterwards?"

Sakuya shakes her head, but more slowly. Instead, she approaches me and puts her arms around my neck, drawing my face down into a gentle kiss. It's a soft one, not the hot one I was expecting.

After a moment, she releases me and steps away. "Do your best, Ikuto." Sakuya tells me over her shoulder as she leaves.

"Yeah..." _Whew... but I nearly reacted to that..._ _Better go see Patchy, fast!_

Once I'm through the large doors, I don't waste time searching below. Instead, I take a deep breath, and release a Ki pulse, similar to sonar. It's nothing like Meiling's, with only a limited range to it, but I hit a stroke of luck; Patchy (Her life force is weaker compared to Koa's, I've confirmed it before) is nearby in one of the desk areas. I break into a run towards the railing, and jump over it, landing on the bookshelf with a light thump thanks to a sudden Slow Fall at the last moment. I run along its length, then hop over to the next one, and continue making my way over to Patchy's location using the top of the bookshelves.

When I finally reach the place, I'm not surprised to see Patchy looking up; my feet did make a bit of noise, and considering the I'm the only one who can't fly in the mansion... Well, I just step off the edge and slowly descend down in front of her feet-first. She doesn't speak, but waits for me to say something first.

"I need your help."

Yep, simple and direct. Just how things should be.

"Speak." Patchy replies, just as direct as I am.

I begin to tell her about my increasing libido and rising affection from the other girls of the mansion, as well as describing the effects they were having on me. When I finished speaking, I just wait and watch her silently while she decides on what to do.

"I was expecting you to come earlier than this." Her reply is so casual that it takes me a while to comprehend what she said.

"Wait, you mean you _knew_ this would happen?"

"Of course." Patchy shuts her book and focuses solely on me.

For some reason, I feel really small and insignificant.

"Actually, you wouldn't have had any problems if you just told Koakuma no."

"Huh?"

"Do you know what your provisional contract with her even entails?"

"Errr..." _Hey wait... if I'm in a contract, that means I should be getting some benefit from all the energy I'm providing her, but what exactly is the benefit I'm..._ "Wait, you don't mean..."

Patchy nods. "Your contract is one of simple exchange between you and her. The more energy you provide her, the stronger your incubus aura will become."

"I'm not an incubus." I protest.

"With Koa's energy inside you, you've become something of one." Patchy's stare continues to bore into me. "That increases your lust while increasing the lust others bear towards you."

_Becoming more non-human... _"So I just have to stop doing it with Koa, right?"

That's simple enough; if Koa's the cause of this, then I just have to cut off contact with her, right?

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Patchy asks in that tone that tells me I'm not thinking things through enough.

"It's not?"

"Could you really avoid Koa all the time while waiting for the youkai energy inside you to dissipate?"

_Now that she mentions it... _I realize.

Ever since I slept with Koa the first time, her nature as a succubus has been unlocked, and she has been coming to me at nearly all hours to suck my vitality out of my body. While I'm sleeping, while I'm walking along the corridor, trying to study, dragging me from my duties as a butler... the list just goes on and on, and sometimes she does it more than once a day. When you count each of those times as a new infusion of youkai energy, it's no surprise that I'm influencing everyone else.

_Wait... everyone else? _"Then why aren't you affected by my... incubus aura?"

"I've been working around Koa long enough already to build up a resistance."

"Not some magic barrier? Like what you did on Koa during the winter thing?"

Patchy shakes her head. "That only worked because she's my summon. Everyone else has their own magical resistance, and with what you've received from the little sister, yours is even harder to overcome. I would not only-" Patchy breaks down coughing, clearly not used to speaking that much. "Ahem... where was I? Oh yes, trying to penetrate your magical resistance would exhaust my own power, and the barrier would be only temporary since your body will eventually break it down. Within a day at the most, a week at the very least."

_Crap. _"So you can't put a magical barrier on me, but..."

My mind flashes through all the times when I tried to escape from Koa...

"I see you realize that even if you tell Koa no, her aura will eventually become too much for you."

"So... there's only one way out for me..."

"Indeed." Patchy opens her book and focuses on it once more. "I wish you luck in that endeavor."

"Patchouli-sama~" Koa's voice comes from somewhere to my left, and she's approaching.

"I better get going!"

I dash into the shelves, heading away from Koa. Straight, then left, then right, and the shelves start to space out, giving me enough space to do a proper wallrun. I kick off on my left, then right, and follow it higher up while using wind bursts from my hand to stabilize myself. After I clear the top of the shelves, I curl up and roll on top of one of them. Once my feet are firmly planted beneath me, I explode into a powerful jump, heading towards the door. Land, jump, land, jump.

_I really feel like a ninja like this. _Bringing my feet forward, I hit the railing with them, and use my forward momentum to flip forward to land on the floor. _Okay... time to meet Meiling for training. _

"Get him!"

_...why, fairies, WHY? Why do you persist on making trouble in my life? _I grit my teeth and rush at them.

My training to master the wind manipulation, while not at a level I'd call skilled, has progressed enough for me to perform a few cool tricks, kind of like that Ikki character. (2) I cut to the left to avoid a string of bullets, go halfway up the wall, then release a burst of wind from my feet to propel me over another row of bullets, flipping over them with a twist of my hips. Before the fairies can react, I'm already in their midst, and still spinning from the force I'm channeling.

High kick, low sweep, backfist, duck and slide, uppercut!

_A bit flashy, _I muse, _but it did the trick. _

Dusting myself off, I continue on my way. When I reach the gate where Meilng is, I find her asleep. Just as I'm about to wake her up, I remember my condition, and decide to do so from a distance.

"Oooi~ Meiling!" I stand about five meters away.

"Zzzz..." The redhead snorts in her sleep.

"Mei~li~ng! Wake up~!"

"Mmmm..." She stirs a little, but falls back into slumber quickly after.

"Meiling." I wait for a moment. "Meiling, Meiling, Meiling."

A smirk appears on her lips. "Eheheh..."

_What's she dreaming about? _"Oi! Meiling! Wake up already!" I snap, with some impatience.

"Mmmhmm..."

_Damn... I don't want to approach and set her off... too bad I can't simulate Marisa's approach... wait. Let's try that... she might hate me though... _I clear my throat. "Meiling."

No response.

"Meiling." I repeat.

Still no response.

"China." I murmur.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING CHINA!" Shooting upright, Meiling roars with a powerful burst of Ki, then looks around. "Huh? Eh? What?"

"Good morning~!" I greet her cheerfully.

"Ah, Ikuto!" She gives me a warm smile. "Here for training?"

_Looks like she doesn't recall me saying that. _I return her smile. "Of course."

We start off with the usual meditation, then move into stretching our limbs. I try to keep an eye on her, to ensure that we remain far apart enough to prevent the aura from affecting her.

"You're nervous about something." She suddenly remarks.

"Eh?" _Well... I suppose it was quite obvious._

"You can talk to your big sister about it, you know?"

"I think we've long gone past that sort of relationship..."

Meiling grins, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "As you've proved quite recently." She retorts. "And many times over."

Turning away, I start striking the practice dummy with Ki strikes, making it rattle in the right manner. My body goes through the often-practiced motions, dealing multiple hits within the space of a few seconds, then lesser as I channel more Ki to power my limbs and make them faster. When I first started this, I had to put my mind to considering what went into each blow, the amount of Ki, the location of the strike, my body's stance as I move into the blow... But I kept doing each pattern over and over and over, until I'm moving without having to think.

That's the result of months of nonstop training; I can mix and match the moves from each separate pattern with only a barest thought. Fists, stabs, chops, elbows, knees, shins, heels... my body is a weapon, and all those are my edges.

"Ikuto."

Meiling's voice startles me, and I accidentally overdo it on the power of my next hit, which ends up smashing a hole straight through the dummy's torso. "Yes?"

"Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?"

_Ever the dependable big sister. _"If you'd like to hear about it then..."

So I tell her, about what Patchy explained about my problem, how having sex with Koa is giving me a similar aura to the succubus.. Meiling's expression doesn't change the way I expect, instead showing sympathy when I describe my thinking that her emotions towards me is only a result of my inciting arousal in her. When I finish, for some reason I don't feel as nervous as I expected to be.

Nor was I expecting her to suddenly rush at me and glomp my face with her chest. _...really... the animes were right when they claimed this could lead to suffocation... _

After a few seconds of marshmallow hell (or heaven), Meiling pulls back to look me in the eyes.

"I do like you, and not because of some incubus aura." She tells me firmly.

The look on my face must have had a question written all over it, because she continues talking after that.

"I've seen the effect Koa-chan has on you before. Once you're out of range, none of the thoughts you had while in the presence of her aura remain, right?" She gives me a questioning look before going on, "But it's different for me. Sometimes when you're not around, I think about you, Ikuto. Sometimes I just can't help but want to go and look for you. To spend more time with you."

I stare at her. "Forward, aren't you?"

"That's just how I am!" Meiling defends herself. "Of course, I don't mind it when you take me into your arms."

"You do know that you're currently within range of whatever aura I'm putting off, right?" I point out, conscious of her body pressed against mine.

"That may be, but I really enjoy it when you- Kyah!" She twitches back with a cute-sounding squeal.

I had poked her breast. "Glad to know you like my technique in bed. But that's probably another result of the aura."

"My reaction is one thing, but my emotions is another." Meiling gives me a glare. "And not just me. You know Sakuya and Flan-sama feel the same. Maybe even Remilia-sama."

"Yes, yes, Onee-sama." _Just go along with it..._

"Geez~ You're such a troublesome little brother." Meiling hugs me tightly. "Say..." She lowers her voice to a husky whisper, "How about we go over to garden shed there where you can show your Onee-sama what you know?"

"Are you sure it's not the aura?"

"Enough about that already!" Wrapping one arm around mine, she starts dragging me away. "Let's just get it over with before Sakuya notices!"

In face of such forcefulness, I have no choice but give in and go along with her wishes, thus getting my morning dose of exercise in a different manner.

* * *

><p>"Sakuya." I call the name of the maid as I throw another ice knife at the target on the opposite end of the room, hitting it sqaurely.<p>

"Yes, what is it?"

"I love you." It feels right saying it to her.

Not to mention it's fun to watch her cool persona slip when I tell her that. "Wh-what are you saying so suddenly!"

"It's the truth." I insist, throwing the last knife before turning to look at her.

"Stupid Ikuto." She mumbles, but her lips have a hint of a smile to them.

"That's why I want to tell you first. I intend to leave soon."

Sakuya's head snaps up to stare at me. "What?"

"I've been here for more than half a year already. It's time for me to move on."

"But you don't have to go." She objects, approaching me.

I shake my head. "I do. Remember when I first came?" I take hold of her hands within mine, gripping them firmly. "Yukari Yakumo is a dangerous being. And while I have no idea whether her word is trustworthy or not, I rather not go against the agreement I have with her, and give her a legitimate reason to throw me out."

"Then I'll just-"

I cut her off with a quick press of my lips to hers. "No. I don't want to see you risk yourself."

"Ikuto..."

"Besides," I continue in a cheerier tone, "I'll still be in Gensokyo, remember? I can drop by when I'm free, and if you really need to, you can come and visit me wherever I'm staying!"

Sakuya doesn't say anything, but draws even closer to me. Her hands push apart, spreading my arms open so they aren't between our bodies, but she leaves them loosely clasped in my fingers. Her body presses against mine, and her face pushes itself into my collarbone. I can smell her scent; it's nice, and I've grown used to inhaling it at least twice a day, both in, and out of, bed. Slowly, I push my hands to go around her body, and she does the same until we're holding each other.

"You know..." She says quietly, "Sometimes I insist on doing the laundry because I like your smell."

_Sakuya, the elegant maid, has a smell fetish? _I twitch when she suddenly pinches my back. "Ow."

"You were thinking something rude, weren't you." Sakuya mutters without taking her head off my body.

"Maybe."

I feel the pressure of her breasts increase slightly as she takes a deep breath, still with her face where it is. "Mmmm... I know about it." She murmurs dreamily.

"What?"

"I overheard Patchouli-sama talking to Koakuma about you. About what happens because you're sleeping with Koakuma."

_What? _"So... you know."

"And I can also guess what you'd think about that." Sakuya tilts her head back to show me those blue eyes. "Stupid Ikuto."

"That's the second time you've said that."

She frees up one arm to poke me in the nose. "That's because it's true. You're an idiot."

I chuckle. "True."

"While it might add a bit of spice to our..." Her blush deepens. "Lovemaking..." She pauses before continuing on in a firmer tone of voice, "I'm not doing it with you because of how my body reacts around you. It's because I love you too."

I twitch slightly. "Meiling said the same thing."

"That also just proves you're being an idiot." Sakuya informs me with a straight face.

"And that you're an amazing woman." I shoot back.

"Thank you." She rests her head back on my shoulder. "I wish you didn't have to leave."

"Mm." I can't say the same, because as fun as the mansion has been, there's still so much more of Gensokyo I want to see.

After a long period of silence in each other's arms, Sakuya finally asks the question. "When?"

"I'm packing up tonight, and then I'll tell Remi that I'm leaving in the morning." My voice has determination in it. _Hopefully she'll be drowsy enough not to realize it until it's too late._

Another few seconds of silence pass while she digests that information. "Do you... think she'll allow it? Milady has become fixated on you of late..."

It's not hard to see what she's trying to tell me. Remi might not let me go, especially with how much I've been banging her and Flan lately. If there's anyone who's likely with me because of the aura, it would be her.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." I try to reassure her, but I don't sound convincing enough even to myself.

"I hope you're right." Sakuya suddenly tightens her hold on me. "Just tonight," Her voice is muffled against my body, "Once more?"

"Yeah."

She tilts her head back for a kiss, and we sink to the floor. While it's hard and slightly uncomfortable, neither of us make any complaints.

Minutes later, Sakuya leaves with rumpled clothing and a unsteady gait, while wearing a wide smile on her face, while I pick my clothes up from the floor and get dressed. As I reach for my pants with my left hand, I realize that once again, I've forgotten about the chain.

Bringing my wrist up to my eyes for a close examination, I scrutinize the now-filled chips carefully. _Iku, then Flan, then Patchy & Koa... those two are linked together? Must be due to that time when I did it with both of them to get the runes inscribed on my body. _I eye the formerly blank chips between the second and fifth one._ This one with a clock is obviously Sakuya's, which means the one with a golden star is Meiling's, due to the star on her hat. As for Remi... huh, two red fangs. Scarlet Devil indeed._

Seeing those chips reminds me of the fact that I haven't been practicing with my Keyblade for a long, long time. Oh yes, I did notice it earlier after I stripped Sakuya, but I've grown too used to having it in her possession that I didn't think about taking it back.

_Perhaps I should have. _Sighing, I leave the room to head back to mine. _With everything I've learned, I still don't think I'll be able to match any of the people here._

Just as I'm about to close the door after entering, a bat suddenly flits out from my sleeve and flies off down the corridor. I stare at it in shock; when had that been there? I know Remi could use them to keep track of me, but what if... what if she could listen in on me as well?

_Oh fuck... _

I don't really have much to pack; the books and notes are technically the property of Patchy, while the training equipment are mostly Meiling's, although the... thing with springs and bands is a gift from Nitori. All in all, I have that, Eirin's gravity belt and belt of medicines, two knives from Sakuya, an assortment of odds & ends that all have some use or another, and finally a few sets of clothing, which includes the butler uniform.

_Hmm... _I eye the outfit. _I think I should give this to Sakuya to keep for me. Who knows, she might actually go to sleep sniffing it. _Imagining that makes me grin.

All of the items fit into the large bag, though it's a bit full by the end I'm done. Turning around from the bed, I look at the place I've lived in for so many months.

The window is closed, keeping the chilly autumn air outside, and it's covered by dark red curtains that match the color of the walls. The wardrobe is wide open, but empty, since I opened it to retrieve all my clothes for the packing. The bookshelves are similarly empty, but the books are stacked up on the desk, with sheets of notepaper inserted in between a few of the pages; it makes for a high pile. While the desk drawers are closed, I know the only things in there are the stationery I used to take down my notes.

I pick my bag up off the bed and drop it on the floor, before jumping back to crash down on the comfortable mattress. _If all goes well, this will be the last time I'll be sleeping on this bed._

* * *

><p>"Refused."<p>

For a moment, I have difficulty believing my ears. But then my sense of reality (which has remained intact no matter what sort of crazy shit I've been through so far) kicks in, and I accept things as they are.

Remi doesn't want me to leave.

"Why?" I ask.

Remi is sitting on her throne, staring at me with a displeased expression. Unlike the past few times when I've been sleeping with her, this time I can tell she's not giving me that look because she's being tsun, but because she's really doesn't like the idea of me leaving.

"Because I said so."

I don't even waste my time trying to look to Sakuya, who's standing at her usual position next to the throne, for help. I know it's useless. And honestly, if Remi's decision has me staying right in here with her, I wouldn't be surprised if she went along with it...

_I knew that Remi really enjoyed what I did to her, but this is a bit too much... _"No way at all?" I inquire.

"You're not leaving here, and that's final!" The vampire snaps at me.

I open my mouth to argue that, but someone else beats me to it. "I can't have that, Miss Scarlet."

Instantly, the three of us in the room tense up; we recognize that voice. Yukari Yakumo.

It's hard to place where her voice is coming from, but her presence soon materializes, and I turn to the left to see her walking out from behind a pillar. Oddly enough, she's not wearing either of her usual two Western dresses, but a decidedly Japanese kimono, in lavender, and her mob hat has been traded for a bundled up hairstyle complete with headdress. And she's fanning herself nonchalantly, despite the intensity of the looks we're giving her.

"It's not your decision to make, Yakumo!" Remi growls.

"Isn't it?" She snaps the fan shut. "Ikuto would not have been here if it wasn't for me. Surely that means I have some say in where he should be or not, right?"

Remi doesn't say anything, but she does respond. With a powerful wave of killing intent. It makes me shift back a little, while Sakuya tenses so slightly that I almost miss it, but Yukari doesn't even flinch.

_Are they going to have a spell card battle? That's how they usually settle things, after all. _"Long time no see, Yukari. Found another person's life to screw up yet?"

The blonde glances over at me. "Ufufu... maybe."

There's that look. She IS responsible in some way for that black armor guy! But before I can do anything, the floor drops out from under me. Of course, while I haven't experienced that for a while, my body, particularly my mouth, reacts automatically.

"DAMMIT, YUKARIIIII!" Then I take a look around.

And immediately wish I hadn't. Instead of dropping me out somewhere, she's keeping me in the extra-dimensional space that connects her to anywhere and everywhere. Yep, the one with all the staring eyes. In every single direction I look, eyes of varying sizes (hard to tell if they're far away or nearby given the lack of indications) stare directly back at me.

_Well, I can see my body, though I have NOOO idea where the light is supposed to be coming from. I could hear myself speak. The only problem is... _I try to move, but it's like I'm floating with no way to maneuver myself. _Can't do anything here... _

So I wait... and wait... and wait...

Then I get sucked into a gap and thrust back out into Remi's throne room. The first thing I do is to form an ice needle and throw it straight at Yukari, who's standing off to the side. She deftly blocks it by opening her fan in front of her just as the needle passes by it, knocking it off its intended path.

"Stop doing that!" I'm definitely feeling annoyed.

She doesn't even deign me with a reply, instead gapping straight out with an amused chuckle. Damn hag.

I turn back to Remi, who's looking extremely pissed off, but defeated in a sense. "Fine!" She snaps at me, "If you want to leave so much, then prove it!"

"Huh?" is all I can say, but Remi dashes into her room and slams the door, hard enough to cause cracks in the wall, before I can form a better reply.

I look around for Sakuya, but she's not here. I'm alone in the throne room. _Wait, Remi said to prove that I want to leave... but how? _

I spin around when I hear movement, but only to see the main doors close shut. Somehow things are starting to look REALLY bad...

Then out of nowhere, a piece of paper hits me in the face. Grimacing, I grab it and look around, but can't spot the gap it must have come through, so I turn to look at the paper.

_Rules of the game... One, it starts with the next hour. _I glance up at the clock; it's in ten minutes. _Two, make your way through the mansion and past the gate to win your freedom. That doesn't sound good. Three, you have until sunset. _Since it's autumn, that means about six hours or so? _Four, you must venture through each floor. Jumping out the window means disqualification. _That'll make my task harder. A lot harder. _Additional note, be prepared to face stage bosses under modified spell card rules. _I blink at the last line.

Oh. FUCK.

I've trained in danmaku battle, against Koa, Sakuya, Meiling, even Remi. And now, it looks like I'm going to have to actually go through a version of... what was the game title again... EoSD... ah yes, Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.

_Think, think, think! _I can remember the danmaku patterns, but I haven't had any practice for quite a while. _And what does she mean, modified spell card rules anyway? Who am I going to face first? What sort of obstacles?_

And because of my increasing sense of panic, the moment the minute hand hits twelve and the doors open, I dash straight out.

The floor is clear! I dash straight down the corridor, heading for the nearest stairs. I turn the corner... only to find the place where the stairs should be gone. It's been walled up, and enough so that I can't tell that there used to be a flight of stairs there. I know it was there because I've taken this route enough times to remember.

_Oh shit, don't tell me that there's only one straight route? That seriously sucks._

I continue down the corridor, this time at a slower pace. I'm going to have to conserve my stamina, magic and Ki. Then I turn the next corner, and meet a quartet of fairies. The shock on their faces is matched by mine, but I recover first, and dispatch them with four quick stabs of my hands.

The next corner is approached with more caution; I make sure to keep my footfalls as quiet as I can, and peep around the corner. _Another four fairies are coming this way... why does this seem like that Donkey Kong game? _(3)

I brace myself carefully, then burst into a sudden dash. Unexpectedly, these fairies immediately open fire, but I use the wall to switch directions quickly, then off the opposite wall and up, where I fling ice needles at them. The two on the left manage to dodge the fate of their companions, but before they can counter, I close the distance with a blast of wind and drive repeated kicks into both of them while my momentum carries me along in midair. (4) It leaves them dazed and unconscious, while their friends will have to pull themselves together.

The fifth floor is a simple square border around the throne room and Remi's bedroom, and this corner was the last one. Up ahead is the staircase down, and I take it two steps at a time, as is my usual. But it only goes down to the fourth floor, the rest of the way is blocked. Rather than waste time pondering the reason, I start exploring the fourth floor.

While I haven't explored the clock tower mechanism ever since that game of tag, I still remember it extending all the way down to the third floor, which is why there's a large square space in the center of the floor. Also, compared to the fifth floor, the corridors are smaller, which is why there's more to explore.

_Fourth floor is more like unused accommodations, so there are a series of rooms, windows and without windows. Let's try to avoid combat._

It's been a while since I tried to be stealthy, but it comes pretty easily to me. It takes me about twenty minutes to cover the entire floor, minus the rooms. Five patrols of four fairies each, probably moving along a set pattern, but no other downward stairs. Logic dictates that somehow, one of the rooms has the way down. So I start searching them one by one, and I find something. Something that only Yukari would have left, and because of my increasing stress level, I'm unable to resist the urge to test it out.

_Maybe I should smoke... but then again... this is too cramped a place to fill with cigarette smoke. _I look out through the small peephole as the fairies approach my position. _Okay... calm down... they can't see me... they can't see me... _

One of the fairies directs a curious look in my direction, but continues onward. I wriggle around without shifting my cover until I can peep through the opposite hole, and see them turn the corner.

_Oh, my, god... the cardboard box actually works! _(5) Standing up, I take off the box that was covering me, and continue looking through the rooms. I reach my former room without finding any secret passageways, and in the desk there, I find a new map. It covers only the fourth floor, but one of the rooms is marked with an arrow pointing down.

"Hey look! That door's open!" A fairy's voice speaks nearby.

"Let's check it out!"

_Crap! I forgot to shut the door! _I quickly open up the cardboard box and take cover near the door.

And not a moment too soon; the door opens the rest of the way, and while I can't really see the fairies when they're flying, I can tell they're very near.

"What's that box doing here?"

"Dunno. Let's look around."

"Okay!"

_Four of them... _I close my eyes to try using the Ki radar. _All four are... good! NOW! _Bracing my back against the top of the box, I stand up in a hunched position and slip out of the room. Behind me, I can hear the fairies.

"Wasn't there a box there just now?"

"Beats me."

_Thank god for stupid fairies. _The thought in my head might be insulting to Cirno, but I'll take whatever I can get.

The marked room is empty save for a desk & chair, and a inbuilt cupboard. Of course, the first thing I check out is the cupboard. The inside looks normal, however... I step into it and close the doors, abandoning the box since it's too large. The moment they shut, there's a brief glow in the etchings around the side, and when I open the cupboard again, the room has changed; where the desk & chair were, there is now a single unused bed. And when I look out the window, I can see that I'm now on the third floor.

_Just how did Yukari set this all up in ten minutes? Geez... _I approach the room door and slip out after checking the surroundings.

The third floor is much bigger compared to the fourth and fifth, since it links to the two wings on the side of the main building. It is also one of the floors with a ballroom, which coincidentally happens to have a wide staircase down to the second floor, which is part of the room as well. I came across it while exploring the mansion, but I've never seen it in use before. According to Sakuya, it's only used when the entire group of girls come for a party, but since Remi doesn't really like crowds in her home, the last time it was used was around three years ago.

It's one of many ways, but when I check the locations where the staircases ought to be, they aren't there. Which is why I'm headed for the ballroom.

Except when I try the large doors, it's locked.

"Ah! Onii-chan!"

My head snaps around to see Flan peeping out from around the corner. But what catches my attention is the very obvious key hanging around her neck. One that looks like it'll fit the lock to the ballroom door.

"Oh, hi Flan! Could you pass me that key?"

Unexpectedly, she shakes her head and backs away. "Onii-chan has to catch me first!"

I blink. _This... is the opposite of that time, isn't it? ...oh crap. _

"Hehehe..." Her chuckling trails off as she increases the distance between us.

I can of course try to break the door down, but since Flan is expecting me to chase after her... I chase after her. Along the way, we come across a few fairies on patrol, but our speed doesn't give them the chance to target either of us.

Left, right, right, right, left, each time Flan is just turning the corner whenever I am, and I can tell that she's enjoying the chase. _Of course she's playing with me... but I can't really waste time here... _My mind made up, I start channeling magic into my runes, and blast off in pursuit.

"Ah! Onii-chan suddenly became fast!" Flan shouts.

Needless to say, she speeds up as well, and what a boost it is! She becomes a near blur in my eyes, forcing me to pour in a great deal of energy just so the gap doesn't get too big, but even then, I realize that it would drain my reserves before I even halve the distance.

So I wait until she's taking a route that goes only one way in a single loop, before suddenly reversing direction to head her off from the opposite end.

Flan's expression turns to shock when I suddenly jump out in front of her. "EHHHH? Why is Onii-chan-" Despite trying to brake, she ends up ramming into me very hard.

"HRGOOF!" I wheeze, but wrap my arms around her. "Gotcha... Flan..."

"Auuu~" She struggles, but in a weak manner that tells me she's accepted her loss. "Onii-chan, not fair..."

"Hahaha..." I laugh sheepishly.

Pulling away slightly, I crouch down and remove the key from around her neck. Tucking it away into my pocket, I give her a kiss on the forehead. But before I can stand, she grabs my hand.

"Onii-chan, are you going?"

I nod. "Yeah. Your Onii-chan has to go."

"No, don't leave..." Flan pleads, tightening her grip slightly.

"Don't worry," I use my other hand to pat her head as reassuringly as I can, "I'll come back eventually."

"But..." She pouts.

"Trust me, Flan."

She finally nods and releases my hand. "Onii-chan... you better come back..."

There's a feeling of sadness, but I stand up anyway. "Come on, let's walk together."

I take hold of her hand again, and we start walking, our destination being that ballroom. Flan is rather subdued, but whenever a fairy patrol tries to interrupt, she blows them up mercilessly, and sticks closer to me. But when we finally reach the ballroom door, she pulls away from me and vanishes around the corner.

_Goodbye, Flan... but she took it better than I expected... _I insert the key into the lock and turn, before opening the right door and stepping through.

The expanded room is a mix of pearl, red and golden, and there are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Just as I recall, there is a wide staircase leading down, the perfect place for Remi to enter whatever party taking place at that moment and draw everyone's attention. She really likes lording her status over everyone else. I advance towards the top of the stairs, and turn my gaze downward.

_Sakuya... _The maid is standing in the center of the circle of the pattern formed by the floor tiles, between the stairs and the doors leading out into level two. _The first boss fight, I guess._

I walk down the steps slowly. "Sakuya."

"Ikuto."

"Please let me pass?" Have to try my luck, don't I?

"Unfortunately, Milady has given me the command to stop you from doing so. If you wish to pass, you have to defeat me." Her eyes soften. "Won't you stay? For me, for Milady?"

Hearing her plead like that is enough to stagger my determination. But only stagger. After a few minutes of silence, I shake my head. "I can't, not that I won't. I _can't_."

There's that feeling again. The feeling that something out there is waiting for me. If I stay, it will continue to wear away at me until I WILL leave. Better I find out its cause now before that happens.

Sakuya closes her eyes. "I see." Her entire demeanor suddenly changes, and she pinches the sides of her skirt and lowers herself into a curtsey. "Sakuya Izayoi. By the orders of Milady, I will not let you pass." She stands up straight and pulls out three knives. "Prepare yourself!"

I jump back to increase the distance between us, just as she starts flinging out dozens of knives. It's the same fan pattern she always opens with, but it's more focused. That alerts me to the difference.

I dodge between the knives, slowly approaching her position as she continues to throw them out. Then she's suddenly elsewhere, having 'teleported', and releasing in a new pattern.

_Valkyrie skirt! _I refer to it by the term that had popped into my head when I saw it for the first time. _Crap, what are the rules of this battle anyway? _

Unexpectedly, she suddenly closes in and slashes at me with the single dagger inher hand. I block, then duck when she leaps back to let her previously-thrown blades take over. It freezes my movement, and gives her the opening she needs to close in once more. I go in closer, and start parrying her slashes by slapping at her hand while she swings or stabs.

_Need my key... I can tell she's going easy on me like this. _I parry down and to the left, avoiding a stab to my stomach. _Have to... check!_

Sakuya freezes, and she gasps when I gently squeeze the softness in my left hand. My key doesn't appear to be in her bodice, so...

I sidestep an attempt to kick me, before following up by jumping away to avoid the multiple knives thrown in my direction. I jump, then twist my body, and finally hit the ground in a roll before springing up and rebounding off the wall, leaving a trail of knives behind me as I go. But it's all a trap for the one final knife that comes straight for me, in the place where I would eventually be.

The action is instinctual; a blade of ice forms within my left hand, and I deflect the knife with a metallic clink. Landing on my feet, I study Sakuya.

This isn't really a spell card duel. If I want to win, I have to take her down, beat her enough to prevent her from stopping me. Except it's not easy with my feelings for her, plus I don't think doing what I did with Youmu would work.

_The only way I can win... is to disable, probably through the miniature Burst Needle. _I settle into a fighting stance. _That means I have to take this up close! _

I step, and explode in a straight dash towards her. Her eyes! They're targeting my body for her throws. Head, left shoulder, right thigh! Twist out of the way! Knife coming for my chest, stop for a moment! Now! Straight palm towards the stomach!

Sakuya spins out of the way, then leaps back while throwing four blades. I deflect them away from my body with the ice knife, but after the fourth one, it shatters.

_I need my key! _

Sakuya seems to have realized my intentions, because she starts throwing knives all over the place. Ricochet ones. Crap. Now it'll be much harder for me to close the distance between us.

_I need my key. _

It's odd, I can sense the key on her. If I just had it, I could block more effectively. I rush forward, dodging left and right to avoid knives from nearly every angle.

_I need it._

It's strange, I can almost feel the familiar weight of the weapon in my hands. I run along the wall to avoid half a dozen blades.

_Need it._

Not just in my right hand, but also in my left, and it's not the mini-Keyblades. A landing leaves me too stable to avoid knives curving in to hit me from the sides, so I unleash a powerful blast of wind from each hand to knock them away.

_Need._

Yes, I need to be faster, I need to disable Sakuya, I need to... I need...

_Activate._

As my ring suddenly fizzles twice, I can see the shock on Sakuya's face; I just did something she didn't expect. My right arm blurs, faster than it ought to be, and a series of metallic clashes occurs in an instant, so close together it sounds more like one single sound. The opening has been created, and I drive my left hand forward with its payload.

She tries to avoid it, of course, but my weapon manages to strike her leg on the thigh, and I press my thumb down. There's a small hiss, and Sakuya... Sakuya falls to the ground.

I stand there, breathing hard, my left arm extended while my right arm is behind me. Both are holding something light in them. When I realize that, I straighten up and look at what I'm holding.

In my right, Phantom Blossom. In my left, Burst Needle. When I look at the ring, I see that I'm down two charges. So it takes me one full charge to manifest a Keyblade without the key, huh? Then the reality of what I did hits me.

_Oh, my god... YES! I achieved dual wielding! _I exult in my mind.

"Uh..."

Oops. I forgot about Sakuya. Dispelling the weapons, I rush over to her. "Are you okay, Sakuya?"

"Just can't move." She grumbles. "I didn't know your Keyblade could do that."

"I don't really use it that much." I cup her face, ignoring her blush. "It's my win then."

"Yes... it is." Sakuya has a melancholic look. "You're... really going?"

"Yeah. But I'll come back."

"That's... enough for me." She struggles to move her hand, and I grab it with my other hand. "The keys are in my right pocket."

I find it and gently withdraw it from her pocket. One of them is very familiar, and while I can't really feel any power to it, I can sense the potential. The other is a simple brass key, for the door that opens on the second floor.

"Go." She tells me.

And I do.

I wake up, tied to a bed. Four ropes, binding each limb securely to a separate bedpost. It takes me a while to recall just how I ended up here.

On the second floor, I was greeted with yet another note from Yukari, bearing more instructions as to what sort of game she expects me to play on this floor. Well, instructions is a bit of an exaggeration given what was on the paper; just a single sentence, telling me to avoid getting caught by the beast.

The entire stage was rigged, I can tell. The fairies were out in hordes, throwing danmaku all over the place the moment they glimpsed me. I barely managed even with my Keyblade; the bullet storms were JUST THAT BAD.

And then there was that 'beast' the note mentioned. At first I was wondering just who they had playing it, especially since Flan was up on level four. But then I heard it's call.

"I~kuto~"

It was faint at first, but each time it called out was closer than the last.

"I~kuto~"

Way to get a person paranoid.

"I~kuto~"

VERY PARANOID. AND SUPER STRESSED-OUT.

Needless to say, I got caught. And just as I had found the stairs down to the next level, sheesh.

The identity of the 'beast'? It was Koakuma. Dressed in a very provocative outfit; it's the last thing I saw before she glomped me.

Seriously, whose idea was that anyway? Whatever the case, I better get out of here before she comes back.

First, I'm naked and feeling like I've just been violated, but if I lift my head up, I can see a piece of paper on top of a desk opposite the bed I'm lying on. The place looks like one of the underground rooms, but I can't be too sure. There's the bed, a table, the cupboard, and a single red door that's the only exit out of here.

_Well, let's get rid of this ropes first. _A snap of my fingers creates the ice crystal that represents a single full charge on my ring. A bit of focus causes its shell to form a sharpened edge, and my will sends it to slice through my bonds, and I'm free. _Good, time to get dressed._

Thankfully, my clothes are in the cupboard. For a moment there, I thought Koa would have left me some gimp outfit or something worse...

After I finish massaging my wrist and ankles, I take a look at the paper: **You've failed to evade the beast. Thus you must escape the room. **(6)

...Once again, I repeat: Who the heck thinks up this sort of shit? When I check the door, it's locked,of course; the handle refuses to turn. Which means the key is probably somewhere in the room.

"Seriously, Yukari?" I say out loud. _I've only played two of these before... hopefully I can solve it quick._

First I check out the lock on the door. It's one of those with a big keyhole that people can technically peep through, but it's been jammed with something.

_Losing my key again after getting it... geez... _I pick up the paper to check its underside, and see a picture underneath it. A photo of my key, hanging from a small metal pole sticking out of a lock that's remarkably similar to the one on the door. I glance over at the door, but there's nearly no space beneath the door. _Guess I can abandon the idea of sticking the paper underneath to catch the key after it falls._

As for the paper, there is something scribbled on the underside, and it tells me I have four hours left from the time I woke up. I don't know if it's true or not, given the fact that I have no accurate way of checking the time- oh wait, I do, there's a clock on the wall at the head of the bed, and it reads at around two. I missed seeing it earlier due to the way I woke up in.

The desk has three drawers beneath the table surface. Two of them are empty, the last one has a small flat-blade screwdriver. I take it and put it into my pocket-

Wait, what's this? Inside that pocket is a stiff piece of white paper cut in the shape of an arrow. I check through the remainder of my clothes, but find nothing else.

Back to the desk. Four legs, nothing, underside, nothing. Drawers... if my memory serves me right, in some of those games there were some clues that could only be found AFTER doing certain actions a few times. I test that theory by opening and closing each drawer about five times, starting from the one that had the screwdriver.

_Bingo. _A clatter comes from the leftmost drawer after I shut it for the third time, and when I open it up, a small key has 'miraculously' appeared within. _Too small... no typical lock in Gensokyo would use this. _I stash the key into my pocket, then realize I could have just pulled the drawers out all the way. However, doing so now yields nothing else.

Next to be inspected is the cupboard where my clothes were stored. Single hanger bar with one hanger, with a single level of two drawers at the bottom where the underwear should have been instead of on top of them, one of which has a lock while the other doesn't.

I compare the key I found from the desk. _Nope, too small. This key is one of those miniature lock types. The one I need for this drawer lock would be twice the size._

I turn my attention to the drawer without a lock, and open it. Inside is a rectangular strip of paper; I pick it up and flip it over.

**IDIOT.** is written on it in English.

_... wow, even now, I still get insulted. _Still, I take the paper and keep it. There's nothing else in the drawer, even after I open and close it a few times. _What about the bar?_

It's smooth metal, and connected to the inside of the cupboard securely. No secret switches, so I check out the hanger next; it's a carved wooden one. Nothing... no wait, on the underside, there's something scratched into the wood... numbers? I have some difficulty telling what they are. Let's put it aside for now, on the desk.

Now my attention turns to the door. _Huh, wait a minute... _I cast the Detect Magic cantrip, and get a response from all over the room. _Yep, Patchy's work... these runes will absorb any large amount of physical force and transfer it to somewhere else. Thus I can't punch through or break anything apart._ I look at the walls, they have the same rune pattern, and now that I know what to look for, so does the furniture._ Crap. So I can't bust out of this room with Ki. _The handle turns, but since the door is locked, I'm still stuck inside. _Hmm... I've never seen one of those Escape the Room games where the player can use magic... would be interesting if there was one. Hey, focus!_

Shaking my head to rid it of distractions, I continue examining the door. Apart from the runes on the surface, which I have no way of removing, there isn't much else. As for the hinges, they are screwed in, but if I try to use the screwdriver on those, I'll probably break the small tool before they even budge at all.

I abandon the door, and turn my attention to the last item in the room, the bed I woke up on. Four-poster bed, no backing at the head section, with carvings on the posts and the sides, but no canopy, just tapering off into knobs at the top. First up, the mattress; slightly soft, but mostly firm... I flip it up, another piece of paper!

It reads **JUST**. _Huh, a message?_

But what's more important is the solid wood panel that supports the mattress... I try to move the mattress off entirely, but it seems secured near the head of the bed. If I want to inspect the wood, I'll have to keep supporting the mattress, and it's very uncomfortable. No choice but to do it, though.

Five minutes later, I give it up and let the mattress drop back down. There's nothing out of place with that part. But there's still more to check out on the bed.

_Let's go with the obvious part first. Underneath! _I crawl under the bed and inspect the bottom of the part where the mattress rests on. _And once again, bingo!_ You always find something hidden underneath things in those games. Like that saying about looking underneath the underneath... (7) _Although this isn't really the situation it's meant to be applied in._

A small keyhole, near the head of the bed. On closer examination, I can see a square panel in the wood.

_Well, good thing I've got this key early on. _I take the tiny key out from my pocket and insert it into the keyhole, it fits nicely, so I turn the key. There's a click, and the panel springs open, revealing... a combination safe? I use a bit of magic to create a light so I can get a better look. One of those turning ones requiring three numbers, left something, right something, then left something again, except I can't really tell which one is the zero; all the tens numbers have been scraped away, though there's a red triangle on one of them. But this must be referring to the clue on the hanger!

I crawl out from under the bed and retrieve the carved wood item. There isn't enough light, so I go closer to the single lamp on the wall and scrutinize the marks I found on the hanger before; no sense wasting my magic, I might need it after I get out.

_...arrow pointing to the right... three... thirty-eight. So it's right thirty-eight. Except I don't know which one IS zero or thirty. _I lower the hanger, then turn to look at the lamp. _Waaaaait... what's that there? _I peer closer... _Damn, that's sneaky... _The metal has a design of two small keys, crossed beneath a shield... and the one on top is an actual key stuck in there. I try unsuccessfully to get it out, before resorting to the screwdriver, at the small grove near the head of the key. It pops out easily. _That's what the screwdriver's for? Wow. Could have used the ice crystals, but meh, at least I get to conserve some power._

So now I've got a new key... it looks like a miniature version of my special one, and it won't fit the cupboard drawer lock.

Anyway, back to the bed. So far, I can't find anything else on the underside, so that leaves the carvings and the posts. I check out the latter first, particularly the top of them, since the knobs can be pulled out. And one of the knobs' cross-shaped connecting section has a few missing sections in its length, quite like a key. But I can't find anything else... then I check again, just because I'm feeling suspicious.

This time, I find that one of the holes, the left one at the head of the bed, where the knob's connecting part is supposed to go, is entirely round, instead of the cross-shaped like the other four. I missed it before because even when I stand on the mattress, I have difficulty seeing the grooves, especially with the lack of light reaching up this high; I had to use my fingers to tell the difference.

I insert the odd knob into that hole, and turn it clockwise. A wooden click, and a section of the wood carving on the post springs open. I would never have realized it was there with it blending in as part of the carving itself. But the hidden section is empty. There's nothing there...

Wait, on the inside of the panel... _red triangle, seven. The red triangle stands for seven, which means that marked number is seventy! Good! Now I know what the scale is, I just have to find the remaining two numbers for the lock!_

But I still have the rest of the carvings to inspect. And I soon find another suspicious thing; two of the disks at the part where the post connects to the rest of the mattress, near the foot of the bed, can turn, but nothing happens. I try turning both at the same time, stretching as far as I can go to do so, but nothing happens still. Clearly, I'm missing some important condition.

The small wall clock doesn't seem to have anything special about it; it hangs on the head of a nail from a groove at the back of the clock, and not the metal loop at the top; the loop is jammed inside, and won't come out. As for the rest of the clock, there's nothing else behind, no special keyhole or anything, just telling the time. I double check again, but nope, nothing special. I think I've hit a dead end.

Time passes, I check the room again, but find nothing new. So I go over what I know instead.

Items that have yet to be used:  
>One small bronze key.<br>Paper shaped like an arrow.  
>Remains of the ropes that tied me down.<br>Two pieces of paper with the words **IDIOT **and **JUST** respectively.  
>A picture that indicates my key is hanging on the other side of the door.<p>

Things left to be triggered:  
>Combination safe requiring two more numbers.<br>A locked cupboard drawer.  
>Two turning switches built into the bed.<br>A wall clock that appears normal. (Well, if everything else so far had something trigger-able, surely this would have, right?)

The clock is now at three-thirty... I've been at this for over an hour already, but I haven't found anything new. I can't let myself sleep, because chances are I'll sleep past the time limit. What am I missing? How can I get out?

* * *

><p>(1) Foxes love fried tofu, remember? Mentioned in Touhou canon and the Alice chapter.<p>

(2) Air Gear main protagonist, also goes by the title of the Sky King.

(3) The old Donkey Kong game where Donkey Kong is the enemy who throws barrels that goes down the ramp to hit Mario, who the player plays as, while he tries to reach the top through ladders and jumps.

(4) This is a reference to the Shadowless Kick in one of those fictional movies featuring Wong Fei Hong, played by Jet Li. After looking through Youtube, I found one of the movies' names: Last Hero of China. I recall playing an old computer game featuring a different movie (I think)... it was one of those where you control a single character to defeat series of enemies through a side-scrolling stage.

(5) Metal Gear Solid... you have to have the BOX.

(6) Escape the Room games! Haven't really played many of them, and not anytime recent as well (Three years ago), but my randomness brought it up, and I went with it! To practice, I played two more of them, and so far, I think my creativity helped me in making quite a good one. Seriously, has anyone created a room escape game where the player has certain magic skills to help him find the clues? No, don't answer that, I'm just asking for the sake of it.

(7) Naruto quote, about a ninja having to look underneath the underneath.

Another new chapter, delayed due to me finding out something else: While my muse might be active, my writing can be impeded by a general mood of laziness and unwillingness to write. Sucks, doesn't it? Especially since I'm also working on my other fanfic, and both get affected.

Anyway, let's get on with things. Ikuto is now exuding an aura similar to Koa's, and the more he does it with her, the stronger it becomes. Similarly, the longer he goes without it, the weaker it'll get until it fades away. Thus, he intends to leave the mansion, but due to some unseen agreement between Remilia and Yukari, he has to 'battle' his way through.

While the Sakuya fight could have been more interesting, I think it's just okay as it is. I'm more concerned about the escape the room part. I'd like to hear how you think he'll get out of the room, see if you have the same idea as I do. One clue is that there are two things Ikuto has missed in his review list of what he has yet to check, and those two are GREATLY similar.


	54. Chapter 53: Freedom? Okay then

_Where? Where is the clue I'm missing? _I'm searching the room for the umpteenth time, going under the bed and searching every single damn inch of it. _Damn it!_

I don't really have that much time left, another hour at the very most. I look around at the rest of the room, referring to each item in alphabetical order. The bed, the clock, the cupboard, the desk, the door...

_Wait... I don't think I REALLY examined the door yet, did I? _I peer closely at the door, starting from the top. _Wood with runes, runes, runes, runes... wait, what's THAT? _

It's something so inconspicuous that I'm not surprised I missed it after so many times of searching. Near the bottom of the wall next to the door, and I do mean at the BOTTOM, there's something that ISN'T a rune. On closer examination, it's a symbol that tells me what I need to do.

A block arrow pointing towards the door, or rather the space between the door and the wall, splitting off into a curving dotted-line arrow going down, then in the opposite direction of the first one.

It takes my frustrated brain a while to figure it out, though. But once I do, I retrieve the paper arrow and slide it into the narrow space, just below the lower hinge, going through nearly all the way. I slowly draw it downwards... downwards... there, it came into contact with something, too high above the floor. My jaw tenses with nervousness, and I pull, slowly... the sensation of scraping comes through my fingers, then a catch!

Something small and black slides out of the door, and I prod it around a bit with the arrow before picking it up with my fingers once I'm sure it's nothing nasty. _What's this hard thing... it's not the remains of some pest, not that Patchy's wards let any inside the mansion in the first place. _

"Thanks, gap hag." I mutter.

I'm hardly surprised when a piece of paper with the words 'You're welcome' slides through the bottom of the door.

It takes me another ten minutes to figure out what the item is for. It didn't fit in the bed slot, but it made a clicking sound when knocked against something metal. Eventually, I realize it's to catch the hook for the clock and draw it out, and with the added finger purchase, I can pull harder...

And a section of the back pops out, revealing a small (but larger than the magnet) piece of wood that fits into the slot on the bed. The sense of glee that goes through me is positively exhilarating when the piece slides in perfectly, and when I turn each of the two knobs, I get two new discoveries! TWO!

The compartment on the left holds a third piece of paper, a large one with the word **THROUGH**. It's pretty obvious now; there's a fourth piece of paper to complete the sentence. **JUST (BLANK) THROUGH, IDIOT.** The question is what is the last word is, the last clue I need to escape the room. (I hope)

However, the compartment on the left isn't so beneficial. It's a medium-sized key. But that key... DOESN'T WORK ON THE CUPBOARD DRAWER!

So now I've got two keys, one medium, one small, and a single locked drawer.

_Think, think, think, think! The door is the latest breakthrough, so... _I look around the room and groan.

When I FINALLY find it, there's only forty-five minutes left. The right cupboard door... the door I swung open and shut many times without realizing it... on the bottom, the part parallel to the floor, there's a tiny keyhole for the small key in my possession. Quickly, I insert the key in and turn, and a panel falls out from side of the door. Embedded in foam, is a larger key.

_YES! FINALLY! _I exult in my mind, and grab it from its place. Turning to the drawer, I thrust the key into the lock, and it TURNS! _YES! YES! _

Inside the drawer is a small safe box, and the key from the bed opens it up. The final piece of paper I was expecting is inside, and the word on it is **BLAST.**

_Just blast through, idiot. _I nibble on my lip, pondering the clue.

Then it hits me.

Closing the cupboard door, I proceed to bang my head against it repeatedly. "Idiot... stupid... dumbass... dimwit... retard..." Each word is accompanied by a painful bang against the protected wood.

The door won't break because the runes absorb the force, but Newton's Third Law still affects my head. And the pain... the pain is therapeutic.

After a while, I check the clock. Forty-two minutes. Sighing, I get to my feet and approach the door, where I reach out to the key hanging on the other side.

_Got it. Life Eater. _The mini-Keyblade appears in my extended right hand, and I push it into the door. When I pull back, a small butterfly flies out from the spot, and I crush it in my fist. _Boom._

The hole that is left behind after the small burst of light is large enough for me to reach through and grab my key. Within seconds, I bring out the true Life Eater and reduce the door to kindling, finally earning my freedom from the Goddamn room.

It takes me a while to navigate through the basement, and luckily I don't run into any fairies; they rarely come down here because of Flan, but I've encountered some before. But even with Phantom Blossom boosting my abilities to the maximum, it feels like ten minutes before I get anywhere familiar. Like the fairies, I don't really come down here that often.

_I should have brought the damn clock along... would have told me how much time I have left. _I turn the next corner and come to a halt in front of the basement floor door to the library. _Gotta hurry._

Thankfully, I don't have to blast this door down; it opens readily, and I'm in Patchy's domain. I'd like to say that I'm not surprised, but disembodied voices are pretty startling when they're DAMN loud.

"I expected you to arrive earlier than this." I look around, but Patchy's voice comes from all directions.

"Patchy? You're part of this too?"

"Of course. Who do you think set up the floors?"

"So what's the game here?"

A soft chuckle, and then the _air_ flashes. I blink, before reaching out with my Keyblade.

THUNK. It hits something invisible.

"An invisible maze." Patchy breaks off, coughing. I wait for her to recover. "Just one of my simplest defenses, tweaked a little."

"Not another maze..." I groan.

"It's not." Patchy interrupts.

"But you just said it was."

"I said I tweaked it a little." The sorceress corrects. "There's only one route to follow."

I suddenly get a sinking feeling. "I sense a 'but'..."

Even though there's very little humor in her reply, I'm sure she's smirking. "But you better move quickly... Starting... now."

This time, the next flash doesn't take me by surprise. It's a red arrow moving on the floor, and I quickly dash after it. It appears that Patchy is controlling it, as no matter how fast I go, it always stays ahead of me.

Then I get a tingling feeling coming from behind me. _Spider sense is tingling! _(1) I risk a look back.

It takes half a second for me to see it: it's like a pane of glass, reflecting the light only at the right angles, and it's coming after me. And I don't like the looks of it.

"Ohhh shiiiiiiiit!" I hiss as I run after the arrow.

Then suddenly the arrow darts left, then right to go straight up the bookshelf. I move before I even think about what to do; my feet plant themselves against the vertical surface, and I run four meters up before the momentum fades, then I perform a tight somersault to hit the opposite shelf, and jump on top of the bookshelf, folding into a roll to recover straight to my feet.

The arrow is far ahead of me. I put on another burst of speed, hopping over each gap as they come.

"It's going to become harder." Patchy warns.

It takes me a while to realize her meaning, when several books start floating around me, keeping pace with my running. Then the attack comes; the tomes fly towards me, and I dodge around them.

At first one book at a time, then two, then three... until I'm getting a heavy workout twisting, diving and rolling to dodge at least six books moving at the speed of a thrown ball. After all that experience going up against the danmaku patterns of the mansion's inhabitants, avoiding the missiles is almost instinctual by now.

Then one of them withdraws and flips open.

_Oh, crap._ I duck, just in time to avoid a fireball blasting over my head. _I didn't know she could do that._

"You're slowing down."

I risk a glance back. The wave is two meters away.

"Shiiiiiiiiittttt." I hiss, putting on more speed to regain the lead I lost.

The arrow darts up several bookcases of increasing height, and I ascend them quickly with Ki-powered leaps, sometimes flipping over the fireballs or water pellets that shoot in my direction. Afterwards, it's back to running along the length-

The arrow suddenly cuts left, and I slam into an invisible barrier at a speed enough to knock me out if I wasn't pumped up. As it is, I fall back on my butt and clutch my face in pain.

_Ow ow ow ow ow... _I stagger to my feet and make my way after the arrow. _Ah, so it's the hop, skip, jump pattern now._

The act of jumping between bookshelves reminds me a little of Super Mario... or maybe Naruto, but as usual, things get a lot harder partway through. Like the damn arrow suddenly cutting a diagonal and forcing me to perform several near-muscle pulling acrobatics just to follow after it.

_How much time do I have left anyway? Feels like I've been running for about five minutes already. _I slash through a large fireball, bat away a chunk of stone, before performing a slide under three book missiles.

"Perhaps I should make this much harder."

"What? Are you serious?" I exclaim.

"Quite."

Suddenly, all the books arrange themselves into a single wall in front of me. _Oh shit. _Then Patchy starts spamming fireballs. _Eternal Inheritance: Fire Rat's Robe!_

Red envelops my body shortly before the fire hits, but when it does, it simply washes over me without any damage. My speed decreases due to the trade of power for protection, but I have to admit that it's worth it to make it through the firestorm without any damage. Of course, I perform a few dodges just so I don't get used to it. Dependence isn't a good thing.

"That is quite the troublesome ability." Patchy comments.

"You mean useful." I counter.

"Indeed."

The books switch from fire to water, and I alter my defense accordingly. The same thing happens when they hurl crystals, then buzz saws; all of them veer around me instead. Now that I think about it, it's kind of odd... the Fire Rat's Robe doesn't repel fire like the other four do, only protects me from it.

"You are down to thirty minutes. You had best hurry."

"Hurry? _Hurry? _I don't even know how long this goes!"

"So you will waste time on words?"

I grit my teeth and run even harder. My stamina is starting to flag already after everything... even after the rest I got from that damned locked room.

Risking a quick glance around, I see that the big door to the ground floor is quite close by... and the arrow's not taking me towards it. On a quick whim, I swing Wavebreaker out and fire a bullet at the door, but less than three meters out, it collides with a barrier.

_Damn... guess I really have no choice but to run this course._

I try several different tricks on the barrier. It extends up as high as I can test, doesn't provide any friction, and resistant to just about anything I can throw at it. Plus with the invisibility, I don't dare to try using the wind to speed up; chances are I'll probably break my nose. Plus a few other bones.

"How long... more?" I pant.

"Oh, not too long." Patchy's voice replies casually.

I duck beneath a buzz saw, weave a pattern with my Keyblade to deflect several knives, switch over to my fire protection to slip between two gigantic streams of flame. I can't rely on the protections of Eternal Inheritance too much, because of the high speed I need to maintain just to stay ahead of the damn thing chasing me.

Water pellets, dodge low; buzz saw to the legs, jump over; crystal pillar, slice straight through; dual fireballs, low dive. Book barrage, four-step dodging motion; buzz saw from behind, duck down into a roll; sudden crystal from beneath, jump over; steel rain, metal protection; and back to running again.

By now I've gone around the center of the place more than ten times, following a path that overlaps over itself a few times. After the initial ascension, there are also times where I have to descend back down to the ground and go among the bookshelves; at least there aren't any attacks during that point. There's even a few times where I have to make a huge leap and use Wire Performance to swing across large gaps, or cross them with a wind boost. Then there are the freefalls...

It takes me a few more rounds before I finally realize where she's going with this. Just like the entire library makes up a freaking magic circle in three dimensions, the route I'm going plays on it, with a few modifications. I didn't notice until now because of the stress of dodging the things Patchy was shooting at me with, but clearly I'm being used in some sort of ritual.

"What does... this... circle do?"

"You finally noticed. I thought it would take you faster than this."

"I blame... the stress of earlier..." I duck under another fireball, then throw myself into a horizontal twist between two buzz saws.

"You won't survive long out there if you're this ignorant." Patchy comments.

Rolling to my feet, I bat away several more books as I start running again. "You make... it sound... like Gensokyo!... is in!... a war!"

There's no reply.

As I start to slow after running for so long, I start thinking. How much time do I have left? What if I lose? What will Remi do with me? Keep me in her mansion to serve her? Heh, maybe I'll seduce her if that happens.

_Don't get distracted, idiot! Focus on getting out of here first!_

Ah, there's that voice of my other personality again. Surprisingly it's not screwing with me this time.

_Or perhaps I'm the real you and we just happened to switch! Get your mind in the game!_

The arrow suddenly cuts a straight right, and heads directly for the center of the place... out over several meters of empty air. I stop at the edge of the bookshelf and stare after it. Patchy can't be expecting me to go out there, can she?

Apparently so, because I find out that the thing chasing after me was a solid invisible barrier that is meant to push me... which it does, right off the edge of the tall bookshelf.

_Wire Performance! _Alice's Keyblade forms in my hand and the tiny strands whip out instantly, wrapping themselves around several of the chandeliers. Then I clench my hand into a fist. _Tighten!_

The strands stiffen, and my momentum takes me into a swing. When I feel myself slowing, I open up my fingers again, and focus on transferring the wires over to the next point of contact. It's really unnerving to see several meters of empty space below my feet, but I push my mind off it and concentrate on what's needed instead.

"Good, right there."

The arrow suddenly transforms into a circle, and I swing straight into it. Then everything glows a powerful white; bookshelves, floor, ceiling, everything!

The last thing I think before my vision goes black is '_Why did I just do that?_'

* * *

><p>I slip out the door and begin heading for the main entrance. <em>So that ritual was some sort of super power-up to help me recover all the energy I expended... but then I might as well have just exited the place... unless... <em> I skid to a halt at the sight of the person waiting for me in the main hall.

Remilia Scarlet. The last I saw her was after she stalked off in a huff, unwilling to let me leave her mansion. Before that, we were in bed together... with her little sister joining in... eheheh...

"What's with that look on your face?" The vampire asks suspiciously.

"Nothing." I try to make my voice as innocent as possible. "I still got time, right?"

"Not much longer."

_Crap. _"Then I'll just be going past..."

My attempt to step forward is interrupted by a trio of red crystal needles that plant themselves in my path.

"Not so easy." Remi comments, hand outstretched.

I groan and ready my key. "Should've guessed."

The two of us pause for a moment, and I can almost imagine the 'READY' appear in my field of vision. Then the moment the 'FIGHT!' appears, we both spring into action.

_Burst Needle! _My right hand flickers up to my chest as I dash to the right, avoiding a straight shot. _Inject! _Power flows throughout my body from the shoulder I jabbed my Keyblade into, and I can feel myself speeding up. My left hand snaps its fingers. _Festival Horn!_

Suika's Keyblade materializes just in time to block Remi's slash towards my side. Stepping back to bleed off the force, I block the next one coming towards my face, then finally cross both weapons to take on the final overhead slash.

"Show me your strength!" She hisses, her claws creaking against my Keyblades.

I disengage and swing at her arm, but she darts backwards. This time, it's my turn to press the attack. Aiming the point of the pink Keyblade in my right at her, I pour magic and Ki into my legs.

_**Sonic Blade**_(2)

I experience tunnel vision for a moment, but my focus on Remi lets me see her shocked expression when I pierce her through the shoulder despite her attempt to dodge. I skid to a halt, turn, locate her, and kick off again.

This time she manages to avoid me completely, but I'm getting used to the high-speed movement; bending my knees to facilitate my deceleration, I rush her again.

She dodges. Again.

Hit through her lower arm. Again. I got her pattern down for sure.

Hit through... her leg?

I move instinctively, diving aside into a roll just as she crashes down in a diagonal dive, shrouded in a scarlet aura. _Ooh, I used to abuse that move in the game. _

But with my dodge, I can't take advantage of that small opening, and she's off again. This time, Remi fires off her usual red bats, which I slice through, before jumping over her sliding kick.

"You're holding back." She snaps, coming to her feet effortlessly and flinging her red needles at me.

I slash them down. "Well duh, no matter how I look at you, you look... um..." _Gah, how should I say it to avoid sounding insulting?_

Remi throws several energy spears at me, and follows up with energy chains. I dodge further out of range.

"Are you mocking your training?" Remi growls at me. "What have you been doing all this while?"

I freeze. The next thing I know, she's in front of me, and sends me flying with a single snap kick to the chest. Then she flickers out of sight, reappearing above me, fist drawn back for a punch. My reaction is too slow for a full dodge; the heavy blow smacks into Festival Horn, and sends me crashing to the floor.

_OW. _But I don't waste time lying there. Twisting my body, I roll aside, but not fast enough to avoid the energy wave her descent creates. I throw up an arm to protect my face. _That burns!_

Temporarily switching my right weapon to Blaze Revive, I heal my injury quickly, flipping onto my feet. However, the follow-up I was expecting doesn't come.

Remi is standing right where she landed, arms crossed and scowling, her wings swaying slightly. "Well?"

Despite the idiocy of the act, I close my eyes. "I... apologize."

"Show it through action, not through words."

The last of the pain vanishes, indicating full recovery. Blaze Revive, swap for Phantom Blossom.

"Then, here I come!"

I perform a move I jokingly refer to as a Flash Step (3) pumping Phantom Blossom's energy into my legs, mixing it with Indigo Ki while the runes on my arms tears the air resistance apart with a body spin. Between one instant and the next, I go from several meters away to right in front of Remi, without any of the skidding Sonic Blade had.

Rather than slashing, I channel all my insecurities about laying a hand on Remi, on someone that looks like a young child who hasn't even hit puberty, into a single punch with the handle of Festival Horn. The speed of movement, combined with the powerful centrifugal force, hits her just as she's raising her guard.

Remi's body shoots back, crashing into the wall in an explosion of dust. _Used a bit of Green Ki there... without meaning to. But I did it. I hit her._

"Better!" The cloud is dispersed by several red and black bats that fly out, revealing a lack of a body.

Flipping the shorter Keyblade into a reverse grip, I sidestep the bats as they converge on me, whirling and ducking, occasionally swaying with Purple Ki guiding my actions.

_This is... this feels like Drunken Boxing... _I stagger to the left, my upper body drooping beneath a red bat, then stumbling back with arms flailing, somehow managing to avoid brushing any of the others. _I can... I can feel where they're intending to go..._

My torso, bent back uncomfortably, twists around as my knees give way beneath me, and I fall to the ground on my front. Rolling across the floor while the bats try to dive-bomb my position, I suddenly draw my knees up to my chest, and perform a recovery using only my abdominal muscles, somehow avoiding the bat that swoops through where I was lying a moment ago.

"Odd movements... but strangely effective." Each of those bats attacked once, and once they had made their pass, they gathered together in a single point that twisted around to form Remi's body.

"Oh yeah~?" I bring my left hand up to my face, and take a good sniff of the strong magical alcohol stored within the Keyblade in it. "Then try this!"

I dash towards her, my steps sure unlike the earlier dodging. Remi suddenly throws her riht arm out, firing an energy bat straight at me at close range, but I avoid it by dropping down near the floor, and with a burst of Ki, slash her knees in a quick pass.

Following through with the momentum, I plant Festival Horn point first in the ground, bleeding off the speed in a somersault. But it doesn't stop there; the moment my legs absorb the remainder of the shock, I kick off again in a full vault that takes me back over her former position.

From my aerial position, I can see Remi sliding around, then reversing direction to go through the point I jumped from. _I recognize that move too! Damn, she'd have taken me if I hadn't jumped._

I attack again after my landing, once again going low, but this time with a scissoring kick she flickers upwards to avoid. Not that easy though, because with a burst of Green Ki and magic into my hand runes, I drive both legs upwards in a double-legged kick. She meets it with a downward claw slash.

For a moment we push at each other, then we burst apart; I hit the ground rather hard, but I tuck into a roll and come to my feet without much problem.

However, the same can't be said of Remi, who-

I shut my eyes tight for a moment. _Aww, dammit. This just isn't FAIR... why can everyone else fly?_

Remi's floating, a smirk on her lips. Her black wings are taking on a crimson aura, which is a bad sign. Then she makes her move; the same diagonal dive she did earlier. I sidestep while lifting Phantom Blossom to block.

The wing clips my weapon, the force sending me spinning, but at least I avoided a dangerous blow.

Not one to pass up the opening her attack left, I charge towards her...

And get my first taste of how she actually fights outside danmaku.

Remi blocks my horizontal swing with a hand, then leans backwards to avoid the swipe with Festival Horn. She suddenly spins, and stabs a wingtip towards my chest, which I avoid my performing a half-step to the side of her body.

My roundhouse kick goes over her head as Remi drops to the floor, and I quickly leap over her in a back flip. Not a moment too soon, as she launches a snap kick of her own, one that fires a red energy blast up towards the ceiling.

I score my first hit, an overhead slash that goes through her shoulder. She flinches slightly, but I continue to press the attack.

I cut at her body repeatedly, sometimes using my shorter weapon to seal off one of her wings while the longer slashes her good.

Remi avoids the ones to the neck, but pink petals keep falling to the floor as Phantom Blossom's blade bites into her body and arms over and over.

Unfortunately, I accidentally leve myself open, and she takes the opportunity; a large red bat blasts into my chest, painful enough that I wince.

At the speeds we're fighting, it's enough of a breather for her to break away from me. That, and the chance to blast away at me even more. Three magic circles release small energy bats, followed by five needles fired in a spreading formation, then another large red bat, finally ending with an energy chain.

I manage to defend against the first three, crossing my weapons to block the third, but the force shatters my guard at the end, leaving me open. _Aw crap... this is gonna hurt._

It does; the shock of the sharp point stabbing into my chest over my lung is probably how it feels like to get tasered. But it's not over yet, because she suddenly swoops in, drawn by the chain with me as the anchor, and hits me with three jabs of her wings. Those really do add range to her attacks, and leaves me open for a jumping heel kick, which smashes me into the floor.

I gasp as the impact throws the air out of my lungs, and I bounce. "Gah! OOF-" A small foot plants itself into my body, and sends me flying.

I crash into the far wall, thankfully not letting go of my weapons. _Good thing I reinforced my body with Orange Ki, or that would have broken a rib at least! _Gritting my teeth, I touch the spot where she kicked me; it'll leave a bruise at least.

"Is that all?"

Bracing my hands, I push myself to my feet. "Hell... NO!"

It's been a long time since I actually used my Keyblades, and a few times I actually forgot Festival Horn's name. But not the ability though, those are too significant to pass over.

_But I can't pass up the chance for some live experience!_

I jab Festival Horn at her. "Gravity!"

Remi staggers slightly. "What the-?"

I take advantage of the opening to land eight blows on her, cutting through her limbs while taking care not to hit anywhere that will block my Keyblade. I finally finish up by driving a ground-shattering kick into her midriff; Remi kicks up another dust cloud with the impact she makes against the wall.

"Hrk..."

A slight waver in the dust is all the warning I get. Dropping down low, I drig the end of Phantom Blossom into the ground and slash upwards, releasing a burst of pink petals that blocks the spear hand thrust from Remi aimed at my side.

"Combination attack." I murmur, pointing Festival Horn at the petals. "Gather around, compress, and- BLAST!"

I strike the orb that formed with Phantom Blossom, and it explodes into a powerful pink beam that takes out an entire wall.

"Woah..."

"A dangerous move..."

Remi's comment draws my attention, and I see her nursing a mangled right arm.

"Holy shit... Remi, are you okay?"

"I've had worse." The vampire says flatly.

"But-"

But even as I watch, her arm starts healing on its own; the narrow limb thickens slightly as flesh grows to replace what was lost, and pale skin begins spreading down from the undamaged areas, until Remi possesses a working right arm once more. It looks as though she never suffered an injury in the first place.

"That actually hurt." Remi admits. "Therefore-"

She flickers out of sight. _Oh shit. _

I throw myself out of the way, not even bothering to aim for a proper roll. Something slices into the ground where I was just standing, and when I scramble to my feet, I can see a huge gouge in the floor.

"HOLY SHIT! YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO KILL ME?"

I don't like the way Remilia suddenly starts cackling.

Oh wait.

I just thought of something... people say you shouldn't tempt fate... and Remilia manipulates fate... that really seals the fact that doing something to offend her is tantamount to suicide?

_HEY! STOP DISTRACTING ME WITH LAME THOUGHTS! _I dash to the left to avoid a full-blown Gungnir blast. "Overkill! Less Dakka! Less Dakka!" (4)

"HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

Yup, somebody up there hates me.

I don't even bother trying to block anymore, just continuous running and dodging as the Scarlet Devil tears up the place in an attempt to end my life. _Wait, how much time do I even have left? I need to- _I execute a cartwheel to dodge two bats and three needles. _-get out of here NOW!_

Apparently I have a tell of some sort, because Remilia suddenly switches from bombardment to close-up attacking.

Duck under the horizontal swipe at my head, attempt a leg sweep followed by a snap kick to the midriff! The vampire dodges backwards and charges forward again, but I plant Phantom Blossom into the ground and use it as a support to flip my body back, as well as launching a shower of petals from the floor.

She tears through, splitting the wave wide open with both hands. _Dammit! _I push off with my feet and launch a pre-emptive strike, spearing her through the chest. We both freeze, looking at where the weapon made contact with her body.

_He... stabbed me..._

There it is again, the Keyblade's connecting Remilia's thoughts to me.

_This is so EXCITING! Come Ikuto! Make me feel-_

_...I didn't figure Remilia for a masochist, but I might as well indulge her. _Yanking the weapon out, I settle into the stance I call the Lancer (5); the hand holding Phantom Blossom is raised up near chest level, while the other hand is near the point of the weapon, holding Festival Horn in reverse aimed in the same direction, and my body is leaning forward slightly, primed for a thrust.

"**Combination: Jackhammer!**"

My arm is a blur with the motion as the effect of Festival Horn guides Phantom Blossom like a laser targeting system, driving countless stabs into Remilia's body. In my head, I can hear her thoughts, but they are jumbled up due to the connection going on and off repeatedly. It's giving me a headache, so after my head starts throbbing, I break off and start running for the door.

_Wow, if the Keyblade actually left a physical mark, I think Remi would look just like she got blasted by Gin Ichimaru's Bankai (6). _My shoulder throbs painfully. _Shit, I overdid it a little, and Burst Needle's running out._

I suddenly drop to the floor, just as a scarlet missile shoots through where I was standing, barely missing my head as it passes.

"I... felt that." Remilia says as she turns around, looking only the slightest bit ruffled after her repeated stabbing. "Surely you-"

"Screw this." I snarl, finally tiring after all this; how much time do I even have left now? "**Sonic Blade!**"

Remilia darts to the left, but I plough straight ahead, and smash through the doors behind her. _Hah! Gotcha!_

The outside is dull orange, and I can see the sun just about to slip over the mountain, and with it, the deadline to this escape game. About fifty meters of stone path lies between me and my victory; I don't see Meiling's figure, but I figure she must be leaning behind one of the posts, sleeping. Channeling Ki to my feet, I burst for freedom.

On instinct, I bring Phantom Blossom up and behind my back, just in time to catch an impact that would have torn out my spine. I uncurl into a horizontal slash with Festival Horn, but the vampire darts backwards.

No matter, since that was a feint; Festival Horn's too short to reach that far anyway. I just want her far away enough to do this. Another twinge in the ring finger as I use up a charge to form a new Keyblade.

_Eternal Inheritance! Earth pillar! _I thrust the point of my new weapon into the ground. I trade Phantom Blossom for Wavebreaker, and swing it twice, firing two bullets at Remilia to keep her from approaching.

Just like that time, I go shooting up into the air on top of a stone pillar, and when I reach the top, I swap out for Reaper's Toll and cut myself along with the top of that pillar, which sends me rocketing backwards, and beyond the boundaries of the mansion.

"I win." I say to myself as I shoot over the gate. _Yep, Meiling's snoozing down- wait, is Remilia seriously going to- no. No no no no noooooooo..._

"**Spear the Gungnir!**"

I manage to raise both weapons up, swapping back to Festival Horn and Phantom Blossom. There's a huge burst of red light, before everything goes black.

* * *

><p>"Oooi~"<p>

_Ouch... I hurt... all over..._

"Oooooi~"

_My body, my limbs, my head..._

"WAKE UP!"

I sit up straight. "Whabuhduhbwah- OOWWWWWW!"

My body resists the motion, and I slump back down into cold wetness. _Huh? I hear... water splashing... am I lying in a pool of water?_

My head thankfully manages to remain above the water level, since the rest of my body feels like pins and needles. The smallest feeling in my right hand tells me I still have my key, thankfully. Well, guess I better work on finding out my location.

"Who's there?" I ask tentatively.

"That is my question. Who are you human, and what are you doing on tengu lands?" A stern female voice asks from somewhere over to my right.

_Tengu... oh shit. _"Name's Ikuto, and I got blasted here."

I try to turn my head, and slowly, I manage it. _Ah... her. _I recognize the person wading into the pool towards me.

"Momiji Inubashira. Since you're injured, you will be allowed to stay for now. But once you are healed, you will leave."

"Aye aye, ma'am." I drawl. _Wow, to think it's her of all people who finds me._

The white wolf tengu huffs irritably and grabs me by the shirt, and tows me back to shore. Or at least partway; she leaves me lying half-in, half-out. I'd scold her for that, but considering I'm technically intruding...

_Blaze Revive. _Warmth spreads over my body, and I hear Momiji exclaim in shock. "It's okay... this is just to heal me."

"Oh..." Her face comes into sight above me. "I recognize you now. You're that outsider who was singing at that summer party."

"Eirin, Eirin~" I murmur, a smirk on my lips.

She doesn't go along with the joke, but steps away instead. I wait for the flames to finish fixing my outside wounds before injecting myself with the healing juice from Burst Needle and waiting for my insides to recover. After about five minutes, I feel well enough to get up, and join Momiji next to a campfire.

She tenses up slightly as I approach, her gaze darting towards my weapon. Realizing that I'm unsettling her, I dematerialize the Keyblade and stow the key back into my pocket. As I sit down near the flames, I take note of my current condition.

My shirt is scorched in several places with a few ragged holes; Remi's Gungnir must have been powerful enough to blast through my guard. Reaching around my back tells me that when I was blasted away, my landing must have been bad enough to include a few skips, because there are ragged strips missing, and my back is tender. I'm going to have to replace my shirt very soon.

"You're healed already. You can leave." Momiji says to me shortly.

"Not totally healed yet." I reply casually. "And two more things. One, I need to dry off. Two, I'm not suicidal enough to go off when it's already nighttime."

She glares at me, but doesn't say anything.

Looking around at my surroundings, I see that I'm on top of some small outcropping against a natural rock wall, with a small waterfall filling the pool where I ended up. Momiji is sitting on a flat stone, poking at the fire, but her sword and shield are placed close by, ready to be taken up at a moment's notice. Focusing my vision, I can make out a few signs of my entry into this place; scrapes on the ground, broken branches where I crashed through them, et cetera. In this darkness, I can't see how high the rock wall reaches. Well, I'm definitely not that high up on the mountain, considering how I was blasted here by a Gungnir and all.

_What angle was I even hit at in the first place? It was definitely something that sent me upwards, considering Eternal Inheritance and Reaper's Toll's effects putting me above Remi when she launched that spear... okay, Youkai Mountain is pretty far away from the mansion, so just how did it get me all the way here? Hmmm..._

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud growl from my stomach, reminding me that with the entire game, I haven't had anything to eat for quite a while. I look hopefully at Momiji, but she just glances at me once before turning her attention back to monitoring the area. Sighing, I go over to the pool.

My Ki has evolved to the point where I can detect certain things if I really focus my mind on it, and right now, I can tell that there are some very fat fish in that pond. I look back over my shoulder.

"I'm going to get some fish. Is that okay?"

"Momiji doesn't turn, but one of her ears flick back. "Do as you wish."

_Tsun-tsun... _I bring out Wire Performance, and easily snap out several wires to pierce three fishes and yank them out of the water. it's a bit demeaning to use Wire Performance the way I do afterwards, but for some reason, I think it actually likes being used to remove the scales and clean the fishes, then get and carve branches to stick the fishes on. All of it takes less than a minute to accomplish.

As I wait for the food to cook, I notice Momiji looking at the pocket where I kept my key.

"That is a very useful artifact." She remarks, so suddenly I'm slightly surprised.

"It is, but I think I'm the only one who can use it." Seeing her wariness, I quickly move to reassure her, "I'm not going to use it against the tengus, of course. I mean no harm."

A hmph. Guess that means she and I understand each other perfectly; give no trouble, and receive none. The fish doesn't take much longer, and I'm soon eating. It's plain, and they're a bit on the lean side, but it's good enough for me. In short order, all three of the fishes are completely devoured of meat, and the bones are buried with a bit of help from Eternal Inheritance.

"Not leaving yet?" Momiji asks.

"No."

Time continues to pass, and the moon makes its appearance over the treetops. Yet neither of us say a word to break the silence.

I find myself feeling a bit jealous of her when I notice Momiji continuing to look around; her eyes area clearly unaffected by the darkness- wait, I thought that just a while ago, didn't I? Guess I'm more than a little jealous... or I have nothing better to do.

"Um, wanna talk?" I ask tentatively.

"If I must. But I warn you, I will not tolerate any interruptions of my duty."

_Wow, she's a hardass, huh? _"Okay. So, um... you do this guard duty often?"

There's a short beat before she replies. "It is an essential duty."

"Day in, day out, just guarding the place against intruders?"

"Yes."

"What about training?" I press further.

"Whenever I feel it is appropriate." Momiji replies, still not looking in my direction.

"Shogi with Nitori?"

That gets a reaction out of her; her head snaps around to look at me. "How do you know about that?" She growls.

_Aww... she's so tsun~ Much more than Sakuya though. _"I talked to Nitori, and she said she comes up here to play shogi with you sometimes."

Momiji's expression flickers with some emotion I can't really name, but there's annoyance mixed in there for sure. She notices me staring at her and looks away again instead, but interestingly, her tail actually wags a bit.

"You play?" The question is so soft I nearly miss it over the crackling of the fire.

"Me? No, I never learned." I admit. "But I do play chess. Quite a lot with Remi, the vampire."

"Her." Momiji mutters. "Troublesome character."

"Quite." I agree, thinking of all the stuff Remi put me through. "What about Aya though?"

"Even more troublesome." I can hear a surly note in her voice. "At least with her focusing on the newspaper competition, she's not bothering me as much as she normally does."

_Oh yeah, gossiping is the way to go! _Feeling emboldened, I continue the line of discussion, "What sort of trouble does she cause for you?"

That sets off a long litany about the tengu named Aya Shameimaru. Apparently it has been building up quite a bit, because Momiji not only provides the bare details, but actual dates and names of those involved. Her memory is pretty good; Aya must have been a really good motivator. I just go 'yeah?' and 'mm hm' to keep her talking, and everything eventually spills out. By the time she's done, Momiji is breathing quite heavily, and her hakama is getting a bit wrinkled from her twitching.

"Alright, calm down. Getting too stressed isn't good for your health." I soothe.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..."

I notice a bamboo water container nearby and hand it to her. Momiji uncorks it and takes a few gulps before exhaling sharply.

"Feel better?" I ask, trying not to smile.

"Quite." She eyes me suspiciously. "What about you?"

I give her a thumbs up. "Read all about it in the Bunbunmaru!"

There's a ring of metal, and suddenly her sword is pointed at my face. _Damn, I let my guard down around her. _

"None of that nonsense. You will tell me what I want to know." There's the obvious 'or else' that's left unsaid.

Well, it's not really something I need to keep a secret, so I go ahead and tell her. How I first came to Gensokyo, then choosing to stay at Hakugyokurou, followed by Eientei & Mokou's hut, Alice's cottage, the human village, and most recently the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Nothing much, really. If I were to compare my life to yours, I suppose Yukari Yakumo would be to me what Aya is to you."

Momiji raises her eyebrows. "I am not surprised."

More time passes in silence as she goes back to watching the surrounding forest. When the conversation starts up again, it's surprisingly begun by her.

"So you're leaving the mansion? Where are you going to stay at next?"

"I'm not sure yet. I was thinking of going to stay at Myouren Temple."

Momiji looks at me questioningly. "Where is that?"

"You don't know?" _Guess it's because she doesn't get out much. _I fill her in on the details, as well as the issue of that guy in black.

"Oh, him." Momiji clearly recognizes who I'm referring to. "Aya's been tearing at her hair over that man." A smirk crosses her lips. "Good for him."

"Do you really hate Aya that much?"

She seems startled by that question. "Actually... no. But it is nice to see her get a bit of what she deserves." Momiji smirks again.

I return it with one of mine. "Something like a voyeur getting found and beaten up?"

The tengu considered it for a moment, and nodded. "Strange analogy, but apt. But we are getting off-topic. If that man is stopping you from going to the temple, then where are you going to stay next?"

"Didn't know that you were so interested in me." I tease, then raise my hands defensively when she growls and hefts her blade again. "Okay, okay. I was considering staying with Nitori, actually, or maybe even Reimu."

"Reimu?"

I facepalm. "The Hakurei shrine maiden. You don't know her name?"

Momiji shakes her head, her dog ears twitching in a cute manner. "No. But I remember the time when she came rushing up here. Times." She corrects herself.

_Let's see... oh yeah, one during Mountain of Faith, but the other... ah, Tenshi. _"Did you fight her both times?"

"No, only once. I wasn't on duty the second time, but I reported it to my superiors, who sent Aya."

"Who lost."

"Who lost." She confirms. "But then again, she wasn't really trying to stop the shrine maiden. Sometimes it is simply a matter of image."

I nod in understanding. _Politics... even in Gensokyo, it's present. I suppose that each place would be like their own country. While they coexist peacefully, no one is allowed to enter another's area just because they feel like it. _

I grin slightly when I remember that Reimu's shrine is kind of the exception. Even the villagers know that the place has quite a few youkai visitors, mainly because Reimu's such a lazy-ass that she doesn't do anything to deter them from doing so.

The night continues to pass by, and I talk with Momiji about several things, learning quite a bit about the white wolf tengu whose fire I'm sharing. Just like her initial impression, Momiji is quite the serious character, working on both guard duty and her own training nearly all the time. Yet, she does have her fun side, playing shogi or chatting with Nitori. It's rare to actually see someone who doesn't want to prove her strength or enjoy danmaku. I find myself waiting for the chance to ask her the question 'Why so serious?' (7).

_Wonder what would happen if she met Cirno. She'll probably obliterate the ice fairy within ten minutes._

During the next lull in conversation, I start thinking about what I should do now that I have left the mansion (in a rather violent manner, I might add). First I have to go back and grab the things I left behind, hopefully without any further altercation. After that, well... I should try Myouren Temple again, but if that idea falls through, I should try Nitori. However, for the time being, maybe I'll stay with Akyuu?

I notice Momiji blinking, her eyes looking a bit bleary. "Do you take night duty often?"

She shakes her head, a bit harder than usual. "No. This is only my second time." She confesses.

"Need my help to keep you awake?" I offer.

Momiji gives me a sharp look. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Nothing much, just poke you when you're about to fall asleep."

"I don't need your help."

I shrug. "If you say so."

After staying with two vampires for so long, I've grown accustomed to adjusting my body clock. However, the same can't be said of Momiji, because she soon ends up nodding off to sleep. Instead of poking her like I said I would, however, I scoot closer and start stroking her ears gently.

"Mmm..."

_Wow... it's so soft. Have to be careful not to wake her up... _I dig my fingernails into the area behind her ears in a slow scratch.

"Auuu~..." Her tail begins to wag slowly.

I continue to stroke her ears, not too little to be ticklish, not too hard to be painful. Thankfully, my practice with giving people like Yuuka massages comes in handy.

Momiji actually snuggles closer to me. "Kyuuu~"

I start feeling something strange... but I continue to pet Momiji anyway. I mean, she's just so cute like this...

It's not like...

Anything dangerous...

Is going to...

Happen...

...

CLICK!

_Huh? What was that?_

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

_Wait, it's bright already? _I blink and look around.

"Ah! Say cheese!"

_Oh no. Not her. _"Aya?" I ask, not wanting to believe my ears.

"That's right! The fastest reporter in Gensokyo, Aya Shameimaru is here at your service! Thanks for the scoop!"

I notice a weight leaning on my side, and realize it's Momiji. Apparently, I must have dropped off shortly after she did, and now we're leaning on each other, with her half-hugging my body while my left hand rests on top of her head.

And that's the scene that Aya was taking photos of.

"Uuu..." Of all the moments Momiji could have picked to wake up, it happens now. "Whuh?"

"Hi~! Good moooorning!" The tengu waves cheerfully and snaps off another photo.

_Oh, damn you, Aya. Damn you. _I feel Momiji's head moving under my hand as she looks around.

"Huh? Ah..." She finally notices her body's position in relation to mine. "Awa...awawawa..."

_Now I know what that feeling is... it's my instincts warning me that I'm doing something incredibly dangerous and stupid. Oh what the hell, let's just go for broke. _"Morning, Momiji-chan! Slept well?"

"..."

"I think you broke her." Aya comments, head tilted slightly.

"Are you sure it's not your fault?"

I can almost hear the snapping sound as Momiji suddenly goes for her weapon to possibly eviscerate me and Aya. I move just as quickly, but Aya dodges me.

"I'm not giving up the camera!" She shouts.

"Not that! Get me out of here!" I drop and roll to avoid the slash from Momiji's sword.

"STOP DODGING SO I CAN KILL YOU! BOTH OF YOU!"

_Geez, she's pissed. _

I backflip to dodge a horizontal strike, then perform a series of contortions to avoid the danmaku bullets. The moment I get the opportunity, I jump at the rock wall, then rebound off it into a flip towards Aya.

"Alright!" The crow tengu cheers. "One high-speed escape, coming right up!"

She grabs my hands, and there's a huge lurch as she takes off. The scenery blurs by, and for a moment, I have trouble breathing. My vision reasserts itself, and I soon realize we're headed for Hakurei Shrine.

_Uh oh, better reinforce myself just in case... _

THUMP

_Yep... it was a good idea. _I groan as my body rolls along the stone pathway. "Ouch..."

"Oh, good morning. I wasn't expecting to see either of you this early."

Turning over to lie on my back, I look at the source of that new voice. "Hi, Reimu. Could say the same for you."

"Suika's still asleep. I'll make tea."

I push myself up, just as Aya offers a hand. Taking it, I let her pull me up. Now that I'm up close, I can see that she actually looks rather bad. Her hair's uncombed, and there are several wrinkles in her ink-stained clothes, plus what looks like eyebags.

"Been burning the midnight oil?"

"Ayayaya..." Aya chuckles sheepishly. "You could say that..."

We go indoors to wait for Reimu to prepare her tea, talking along the way. Aya figures out quickly that I've already left the mansion, and starts hounding me for the usual leaving interview. It goes by like usual, except taking a bit longer because there's so much to tell; training in fighting and magic, being a butler, playing with Flan, and how I finally got away from the place. Partway through, Reimu comes back with the tea, and settles herself down to listen as well.

"Of course, I have to go back to pick up the stuff I left behind." I finish.

Aya chuckles. "Not the great departure you were hoping for?"

"I have very low expectations." I reply uncaringly.

Reimu snorts. "Oh really?"

"Yes, almost as low as Reimu here." My answer makes Aya chuckle.

"Almost as low as me... wait, what are you trying to say?" The shrine maiden demands, looking guiltily at the condition of her shrine.

"Nothing." My tone is innocent as I take another drink of tea. "This is quite good..."

Aya finishes scribbling down the notes into her notepad, and quickly stands up. "Well, I better be off! Thanks as usual, Ikuto!"

Reimu and I watch as Aya speeds away to work on her newspaper. I can't help but wonder if it's a good idea; Momiji might very well try to kill me the next time I see her. _...this calls for some heavy-duty remedy. _

I stand up and stretch. "Where's Suika?" I ask casually.

Reimu gives me the directions. Once I reached the room, I use some of the magical knowledge I learned to put silence wards around the place. Then I burrow into the futon where the drunken oni is sleeping.

Yep, it is such a GOOD way to deal with things.

* * *

><p>(1) Reference to Spiderman<p>

(2) Directly copied move from Kingdom Hearts.

(3) Obviously not the same move from Bleach, but similar enough.

(4) Reversal of the trope More Dakka, which is a form of Spam Attack with bullets.

(5) Reference to Fate/Stay Night. The image of Lancer doing his Gae Bolg thrust is pretty memorable.

(6) Another Bleach reference, the damn spear goes back and forth really REALLY fast.

(7) Obvious Dark Knight reference.

Man, with my muse tied up in Fate Prophecy Break, this fanfic is taking quite a long time to update in between chapters. In fact, I had to struggle for inspiration just to write this part out. At least now the SDM arc is over.

School is sucking even more of my time than before. It'll be worse when I actually start working.

And most recently, I've once again fallen to the time-sucking trap that is fanfiction! The culprit this time is Naruto. Previously, I was amazed at how Harry Potter could be twisted in so many different ways, but seeing it in Naruto is just as incredible. For the Want of a Nail and all that. There are even the betrayal types, but I have to admit, Naruto fanfiction is much more fun to read compared to Harry Potter, due to the wider variety of staging areas in the universe.

Recommended authors are **obsidian dreamer** and **Innortal**.

Cutting this off here. As for those interested in my Harry Potter fanfic, I'm taking my time with it, so there.


	55. Chapter 54: Why is it so Dark?

I swirl the sake around in its cup, watching the clear liquid tilt around inside. Then I drink it all down.

"Had enough?" Boss asks.

I smirk dully at him. "You know me quite well, huh?"

I hadn't really drank that much, just enough to give me that pleasant buzz that Suika loves so much and is constantly on. It doesn't do much to detract me from functioning, only to dull some of the more irritating emotions. And that's what I need right now.

It's not because of my leaving the SDM. Actually, that went quite well. I returned back there, exchanged my farewells with everyone there, and got out without any problem. In fact, Remi actually gave me a kiss on the cheek. Apparently that last Gungnir was enough to vent her frustrations. But I did promise to go back occasionally though, it's the least I could do.

No, the real reason I'm feeling negative is because of the other outsider in the village right now. Giriko Tanamura. That guy... simply put, he's one of those yakuza types, a bully who just does whatever he wants. Not surprisingly, he didn't come in here because of Yukari, but somehow managed to stray into the boundary. I'm not exactly sure because he refuses to say anything, but I'm guessing he was trying to run from someone else.

The guy has bleached blond hair and is rather big-sized, his muscles and hands indicating some streetfighting experience. He actually wears a white suit with a green shirt inside, open in the front to show off a chest with a few scars, but there are a few bloodstains on his outfit, some from scratches that managed to damage his skin through the clothing, and others that give me a bad feeling about him.

His character is what annoys me the most, though. Rude, abrasive, actually sexually harassed a few women in the village, and in a perpetually bad mood because he's in a place that defies common sense. I tried to approach him, only to be rebuffed with several insults. And from the rumors I've been hearing, he's been acting like this nearly the whole time.

That by itself wasn't really anything bad, but then I find him trying to force Keine into going somewhere private with him. Needless to say, I got pissed off enough to fire Wavebreaker at him and knock him out. Keine was grateful, but I could tell she was angrier than I felt, and would probably have given Giriko one of her super headbutts. She still finds it hard to be around me, so I let her leave first.

Well, I couldn't really leave him lying around in any case, so I dragged him to Boss's place. Heh, at least that damn suit of his is dirty now. Still, I had a bad taste left in my mouth, so I started drinking.

_Just one day out of the mansion and this happens... _I grouse, propping my chin on a hand. "Cup of water, please."

Boss obligingly fills a cup and passes it to me. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I take half a gulp. "So what else has Tanamura been doing?"

"That tengu came by, but left soon after." Boss's lips twitches slightly. "Left him up in a tree, too."

_Must have really pissed off Aya. _"Any reason why he doesn't go to the Hakurei Shrine to get back out?"

The man shrugs. "I'm just as clueless as you are. Though if you ask me, I think he's got people after him outside, and he feels that he'll be safe here."

"Not surprising. I think the same too."

Now that I consider the signs carefully, Giriko is giving off the air of a cornered animal, snapping at anything that comes close. And that cornered animal has found its way into a new place... he's currently on the defensive, but according to Boss, the yakuza guy has been testing the reins recently. It's giving me a bad feeling about that guy...

_Maybe I should drag him over to Reimu so she can throw him out of this place... who knows what shit the guy might pull. _I take another drink of water. _Then again, if he continues as he were, chances are some youkai will take offense and bump him off... damn, I've grown pretty blasé about youkais eating humans, huh?_

Boss clears his throat, making me look up. "Do you need a room?" He asks.

I wave my hand limply. "Nah, Akyuu's letting me stay with her for a while. I could use some work though. Running low on funds."

"I'll find something for you." He promises.

"Thanks again."

Boss heads down the bar to serve another customer, before coming back. "So, how was it like up at the mansion?"

"Didn't I tell you before?" I ask confusedly.

"Only in passing." Boss replies.

"Hmm... oh well. Did I tell you about the time we went to the beach?"

Disbelief crosses his expression. "There aren't any beaches in Gensokyo."

"I don't think I was in Gensokyo." I tell him. "Yukari just dropped me somewhere else, along with the entire mansion."

"Unbelievable." Boss mutters. "So," He continues in a louder voice, "I take it that you're not staying in the village for long?"

"Hopefully not." I finish the rest of the water. "To be honest, I'm getting kind of bored. This moving in with others thing? It stays at the back of my mind no matter what I do. And it's starting to bug me."

"So go on an adventure then." Boss picks up a bottle and begins wiping it.

I can't help snorting. "Uh huh, like where? Climb Youkai Mountain? Go down into the underground? Mess up a certain sunflower garden? Face it, I might have gotten stronger than before, but not enough to do any of those and call them 'adventures'."

"But the challenge is what makes them adventures." Boss counters.

"Level too high for me, I think."

"Wimp." The guy fires off.

"Survivor." I correct.

"Yeah, but you're still a wimp."

"Oh yeah? I dare you to stay up at the damn mansion as long as I have!" I slap the glass back down on the counter and slide it towards him.

Boss holds up a hand in a gesture of defeat, the other grabbing the glass. "Pass."

"Who's the wimp now, huh?" I crow triumphantly, then stop and slap myself. "I hate this part of getting drunk."

"You better go home and sleep it off." Boss agrees with me. "I'll take care of that guy, so don't worry."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask, digging money out of my pocket.

"I should have a job for you early morning." He informs me.

"Alright. I'll be here then."

I hand over the money and walk out of the place. This late, the nightlife has yet to begin, so there aren't that many people on the streets. No children either, since they're all safely in their homes now. Vendors are both returning home and coming out to set up their stalls, and a few of them recognize me. I drift around talking to those I remember, nodding to the rest; seems like I'll be getting some work tomorrow for sure.

Eventually I reach Akyuu's household and knock on the gate. Moments later, a member of her family opens it to admit me, and I tip the woman a few coins as thanks. Everything there is just as I remember it, apart from a few plants being bigger than before.

_The benefits of a stone garden, perhaps. _I think as I walk down the walkways towards Akyuu's room.

When I reach the open door, I sink down onto my knees and wait for Akyuu to pay attention. Minutes pass, and I soon realize she's testing me, trying to see just how long I can hold out. Too bad for her I've had enough practice against Yuuka and Remi.

Akyuu finally reacts when the candle is nearly burnt out and I'm practically shrouded in shadows.

"You've become much more patient compared to before." Akyuu says softly. At night, sound travels pretty far.

"I've had practice." I admit.

"I-" Akyuu suddenly breaks off to yawn. "Ngh... it seems that our conversation will have to be postponed until the morning. After breakfast, preferably."

"Do you need help getting back to your room?" I offer as she begins to shift herself away from her desk.

"More polite, too." The girl chuckles, before shaking her head. "I will be fine, Ikuto. Please do not worry about me."

"As you wish, then." _Good thing too, I'm still feeling a bit fuzzy from the alcohol._

Akyuu suddenly pauses. "It would be best if you take a bath before you turn in, as you smell very clearly of sake."

_Ouch. _"Of course. Thanks for the advice."

I don't waste time soaking in the tub, but simply pour cold water over myself enough times to give me the feeling of cleanliness before getting out of there. Akyuu already allocated a room for me when I turned up asking earlier today, and I make my way there, yawning.

The room is simple and clean, and the futon is already laid out. There are a few calligraphy scrolls on the walls, and two pots clearly meant to hold flowers, though they're empty at the moment. I realize it's the third night of the cycle, which means that I'll be seeing Komachi tonight. Smiling, I slide under the covers, glancing at the pale moonlight shining through the paper screen.

_When you walk away, don't you hear me say... _(1) I fall asleep with my subconscious providing a song.

* * *

><p><em>I always associated Komachi's place with relaxation, a place where I can just cut back and let myself go, say all sorts of stuff (with obvious limits) and laugh about it. That's why, when I see just who else is there with us, I end up even tenser than I normally would be. After all, she is a rare guest; knowing what to expect just makes things worse.<em>

_"Don't be so stiff, human." Shikieiki Yamaxanadu tells me, calmly sipping tea._

How do you expect me not to be, when faced with the judge, the boss of Komachi? _I force myself to relax slightly, taking a drink from my own cup. _

_Also seated at the table the two of us are at is the one person who connects us both, Komachi. The redhead is nearly as stiff-postured as I am, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of us. Judging by the slightly open top, she had plans for the two of us before Eiki suddenly decided to drop in._

_I scrutinize the being carefully, trying to get a hint of her intentions. _Perfect posture, calm and relaxed, no tension... flat chest.

_I lift up my cup to conceal my expression. My subconscious mind somehow latched onto that part of Eiki... if she realized that I thought that about her, I think she'd blast me. Maybe._

_"So, Eiki-sama, what brings you here?" I ask cautiously._

_"There hasn't been many new souls to judge recently, so I am taking some much-deserved time off."_

_I shoot a look at Komachi, who shakes her head. Guess there really has been a drop in the number of souls, and not because Komachi was slacking off in ferrying them across the Sanzu River. I guess my redhead girlfriend knows well enough not to make a mistake like that, but I just had to check._

_"How is it like across the river? What do you do there? Besides judging souls, I mean." I add the last part as an afterthought._

_"I would have thought Komachi would have told you about that already." Eiki looks at me curiously._

_"It may have came up before." I admit slowly. "But we didn't really go into it much if we did." _Because of... other things.

_By the slight blush on Komachi's face, she's aware of what 'other things' we did that took our minds off that issue. She surreptitiously tugs one side of her blue top, increasing the amount of skin exposed._

Not here right now, girl. _My lips thin as I narrow my eyes at her, but the redhead just smirks._

_Her green-haired superior continues to drink her tea. "I suppose I can tell you."_

_I can't help scooting closer interestedly._

_Eiki begins her account of life across the River. There's a village across there, as well as a one-way hole down to the Hell of Blazing Fires, or more accurately, a certain furnace manned by a hell raven. The village itself is filled with many spirits, living their pseudo-lives until the time comes for them to be reincarnated._

I'm getting some Bleach vibes here... _"So how does that work, then? Do they lead the same lives they did here?"_

_She shakes her head. "We have shinigamis whose role is to settle them into the society there."_

_"Hey, Komachi, how often do you got back there?" I ask the redhead._

_"About... once every two weeks, I guess?" Komachi says with some uncertainty. "I don't really have to eat, but it's just to get some snacks. And sake." She added at the end._

_"It's more fun here." I say. _

_"It's more fun here." She agrees._

_Eiki takes another drink of her tea, not saying anything to that._

_"So what's new with you, Ikuto?" Komachi asks._

_"Left the mansion, now looking for another place to stay."_

_"Not decided yet?"_

_"Something's come up, that's all."_

_It's a bit tense with Eiki's presence, but we're slipping back into how we normally are._

_"Where's Iku?" I look around; the oarfish youkai doesn't look as though she's been here in a while._

_"Something up with that bratty charge of hers again, I think." Komachi refills my cup of tea._

_"Heh, haven't seen Tenshi for a while. Wonder how she's doing."_

_"Don't know, don't care. There are more interesting things to do than to deal with that stuck up Celestial." She says dismissively._

_"By the way," I suddenly turn to Eiki, who raises an eyebrow. "Do you ever visit the Hakurei shrine maiden? I hear she 'visited' you before. So why not pay back the favor?"_

_"Is this an attempt to make me leave?" Eiki asks, watching me with a serious gaze._

_"Uhh... yes?" _Damn, facing that look is really difficult...

_"At least you're honest."_

_Like hell I'm going to try and lie to the person who judges souls on a daily basis._

_Eiki doesn't make any effort to move, but holds her cup out for a refill, which I graciously provide._

_"I am not one for needless conflict." She calmly informs me. "I see no need to go looking for a fight."_

_"Like Cirno does, you mean." I can't resist quipping._

_Eiki blinks. "Who?" _

_"Oh, the ice fairy." Komachi realizes._

_Eiki looks lost, so it falls to me to explain. Surprisingly, my tales of the airheaded ice fairy interests her, although I wouldn't say the same if they were to meet face to face; their personalities just clash too much. Chances are Cirno would challenge Eiki, and then Eiki would beat her head in with that stick of hers. The thought makes me smile._

_"Is it really that funny?"_

_"Hm?" I realize Eiki's been looking at me curiously. "Kinda."_

_"Imagining the outcome of my encounter with this Cirno, no doubt."_

Damn, she's really sharp! _"Am I that obvious?" I ask, sounding a bit dull._

_"Very much to me." Eiki's lips twitch slightly, as if trying not to smile._

Somehow, I think that's an unfair use of skills picked up at work. _"Shall we change the subject?"_

_"What to?" Komachi asks._

_"Do either of you visit Yuyuko often?"_

_"Saigyouji-sama?" Understanding washes over Komachi's face. "No, not really. Eiki-sama does, though."_

_Eiki closes her eyes. "Komachi." _

_"Y-Yes! Shutting up!"_

_It's amazing to see my spunky redhead girlfriend get quelled so easily. Then again, Eiki's a stern boss, but a good one. I can still recall the time when she turned up during that party at Hakurei Shrine to take Komachi back when she was drunk. Of course, compared to the multitude of times she lectured Komachi for slacking off... _

_"I rarely visit Hakugyokurou, due to my duties. But I do pay Yuyuko-san the occasional visit to ensure those under her care are doing well." Eiki tells me._

_I start to reply, then pause. _So you're trying that here? Fine then, I'll play along!

_"Is there something wrong?"_

_I shake my head in response to Eiki's question. "It's nothing. But when you visit Yuyuko, what do you do?"_

_"Nothing of note." Eiki replies, as Komachi squeaks softly. "She is a trustworthy individual, despite her... personality."_

_"Heh, you paused. She gets you with that airhead act of hers too, huh?" I grin, not showing any sign that the foot rubbing against my lower body is having an effect._

_"Mmm..." Komachi moans._

_"Is there something wrong, Komachi?" Eiki asks her subordinate._

_"N-no, no, this tea is just so delicioussss..." She trails off into a hiss, her cup raised to her lips._

_"Is that so..." Eiki's eyes flicker to my innocent face. _

_"Yes, I believe she's..." My jaw muscles tense unconsciously for a moment. "Correct. This is good tea."_

_Eiki eyes her cup, then takes a big gulp. "It must be the atmosphere." She comments._

_"Maybe." I grin at Komachi, who closes her eyes and tilts her head back, lips parting slightly. _She's so doing that on purpose...

_Our conversation goes on... if that description even applies; my and Komachi's sentences keep getting interrupted by... interruptions, even as Eiki acts ignorant of what's going on under the table. There's no way someone as old-_

_"I feel like I should hit you for some reason." Eiki murmurs, that tablet of hers somehow appearing on the table without me noticing it._

_-as experienced as her would miss the clues we're dropping. Hmm, are we actually doing it on purpose so she can catch us and then... Um, better not go there. It feels like a dangerous field of discussion to stray into._

What else should I, can I talk about anyway? _My big toe makes contact with something warm and wet. _

_"Uhn!" Komachi grunts._

_"Are you sure you're alright, Komachi?" Eiki asks more seriously._

_"I'm... fine!" Komachi squeaks._

_She retaliates, giving as good as she gets. Practice has given her pretty good control of her feet... If it wasn't for Eiki's presence, I think she would go further than just rubbing._

Hurry up and go already, Eiki! _I grumble in my mind. _Gah! That was a bit too hard there, Komachi!

_Komachi shoots an apologetic look at me, picking up the teapot with a trembling hand._

_"You look rather unwell, Komachi." Eiki comments, picking up said teapot first. "Allow me. You should rest."_

_"T-thank you, Eiki-sama..." Komachi stammers._

Oh God, this is getting too much... _I grit my teeth. _Wait, how long have I been here? _"um, how long has it been, Komachi?"_

_"Eh? U-uhh, I'm not sure, but I think-"_

_"It is nearly morning." Eiki answers for her._

_"Has it really been that long? Damn, looks like I'm-"_

_Komachi picks the moment to launch a final attack._

* * *

><p>I traipse through the Forest of Magic, trying not to think of the near miss I had this morning. I've heard of people having wet dreams, and what I had this morning... I shake my head furiously. Why am I thinking about it? That just defeats the purpose! And Akyuu just had to be there...<p>

I look around. _Hmm, far away enough, but the place is still familiar enough so that I'm not totally lost. Time for me to practice with the newest Keyblades. _

The process takes a few minutes to come back to me. To call out the Keyblade of one whom I'm bonded with... it requires me to imagine that bond overlaying itself on the key in my hand. It's not as easy as it sounds, however. Some people are just harder to imagine a bond with... like Iku for example; our bond is like a secondary version of the one I have with Komachi, and the girl in question herself isn't easy to get an impression of.

_Come to think of it, I haven't actually materialized Iku's, have I? Let's give it a try. _I focus on my memories of Iku, and channel them to the key. There's a slight pause, and then it reshapes itself into a new Keyblade form. _Huh, this color scheme seems kind of out of sync with Iku._

The bit is a simple round disk of grey, while the relatively short and flat rectangular shaft is bluish-grey in color. The only parts that resemble Iku's red and black clothes are the hilt and the keychain; the handle looks and feels like red cloth is wrapped around it, but the guard itself is a ring of hard metal that looks like her scarf twisted around to form impressive looking ripples, while the keychain is... a dark cloud with her hat ribbons running out from one end, connected to the Keyblade by a red ribbon of all things.

When I try striking a branch with it, it gives off a small explosion of white sparks that seem to electrify the air around me. But that fades after a while, so I don't think it has anything to do with its inherent ability.

_Maybe I can shoot lightning? _I take a big swing with it, but there's no response apart from a slight buzzing. _Okay, so that's not it..._

"Who's there -ze?"

I turn around to see Marisa come into the clearing, a small cloth bag hanging off her hip. She's holding a mushroom in one hand, and she looks surprised to see me.

"Yo, long time no see."

"Ah, Ikuto! Finally out of the mansion?" The witch puts the mushroom away and approaches me, dusting off her hands.

"Yep. What are you up to?"

"Gathering mushrooms for potions, and maybe food -ze. You?"

"Just messing around." I swing my latest Keyblade up and down to emphasize my meaning.

Marisa suddenly smirks, tipping her hat back slightly with one hand. "Say, I've been kinda bored myself -ze! Wanna have a match?"

I blink. "Why not?" My mouth suddenly says on its own. "First hit?"

_Crap. It looks like my time in the mansion has left me with the urge to test myself. At least it's against Marisa and not against someone like say... Yuuka. Well, I suppose I can live-test this Keyblade._

Now grinning widely, Marisa unties the mushroom bag and tucks it safely away into a pocket, before pulling her broom out of nowhere. "Alright! Let's go -ze!"

I kick off hard; the ground where I was standing explodes, then part of the bark on a tree cracks. But Marisa's no longer there, only a black canister falling to the ground.

_Shit! _I flip backwards, narrowly avoiding the explosion of light. _How did she-?_

"Heh, you're faster than I recall!" Marisa's voice is punctuated by the sound of energy blasts being released.

I duck and weave between the green bullets, then perform a running slide under her broom charge. Pumping Ki into my limbs, I blast off for a slash at her back. However, Marisa somersaults forward off her broom and swings it around to catch my follow-up swing.

"Hnnn- HAH!" I pour my strength behind it, and send her flying back. _What's that odd humming?_

Just to be safe, I leap back. And not a moment too soon, because another light explosion appears beneath my feet. She's good; I never noticed her dropping one of her bomb jugs!

"Try this!" I look up to see Marisa with both hands cupped near her waist.

_Is she going to fire a Kamehameha? _(2) I wonder, but luckily, she didn't fire a beam, but several fast-travelling multi-colored stars. _Let's try a straight charge now!_

I slash through the bullets as I dash in between them, but Marisa doesn't make any attempt to move. Even when I accelerate at the last moment, she manages to block me with her broom, and drop down into a crouch with her weapon ready by her side. My instincts scream at me; I fire magic into my feet and let the wind blast me into a backflip. They were right on, because her crouch was for a magic uppercut with that broom of hers!

Materializing two ice knives in my left hand, I fling them at her, only to have them swatted out of the air with her broom. She counters with a straight blue beam that I barely manage to block with my Keyblade, but it sends me flying back against a tree.

_What's that odd humming? _I chance a quick look around, and realize that the bit of my Keyblade has a light blue glow in its center. _What's this?_

My body suddenly acts on its own, shifting left and right, then crouching slightly. It isn't until the danger passes that I realize I dodged without even looking. I know I'm good at sensing danger, but that ability is usually only enough for me to dodge the first one and use my eyes to avoid the remainder. What I just did... feeling a bit reckless, I close my eyes and stand still.

_Twist left, jump, sway right, lean further out. _My hunch was right, I can somehow sense the attacks coming! _Is this the ability of this Keyblade? To extend my senses? No... not exactly..._

My eyes fly open, and I start running. My route is entirely random; I run up trees, jump large distances, and basically go haphazardly all over the place, all the while avoiding Marisa's bullets. Now that I'm studying her from a distance, I realize her secret. She could keep up with me because of her insane amount of experience that allowed her to analyze my moves and prepare for them in advance.

_I've heard that Reimu's talented enough that she doesn't have to train, but Marisa's no slouch herself! _I notice that the glow on the bit is becoming bigger; it's occupied half of the radius already, and still growing. _The range is extending to match... _I realize.

All of a sudden, Marisa's within my range. Without having to look, I can sense her arms moving, manipulating her broom as she fires a single star projectile. I lean back to let it pass in front of me, then retaliate with another ice dagger that she sidesteps.

_I see now... this Keyblade's ability revolves around my movement. The more I move, the larger the charge it builds up, and it's like an antenna connecting me to the surrounding charged field. _I can feel the energy in the air clearly now. _Wow... I'd think I had activated Seikuuken. _(3)

Freeing my mind, I fall into the state I reached in my meditation sessions with Meiling. Without consciously intending to, I raise my weapon up near my head slightly above my eyes, in a horizontal position with both hands on the handle.

"Special move? Bring it on -ze!" Marisa calls after seeing it.

A smirk plays across my lips as she pulls out her Hakkero. It's not for a Master Spark, I can tell, but it's definitely for some powerful attack. Then I realize, the Keyblade's enhancing _me_ as well; everything seems to be slowing down while I feel like I'm moving at normal speed. It's my chance.

"HYAH!" I unleash my pent-up energy in a diagonal slash, far out of range.

"HAAAH!" At the same time, Marisa thrusts her Hakkero out in front of her, and fires a furious flurry of stars.

Power rushes through my weapon, and a bolt of lightning bursts out of it. It hits the first star, then bounces over to a second, then a third, continuously jumping around to touch every star in an instant I only catch because of my accelerated state. Then the whole thing blows up with an impressive flare of a lightshow that makes me shut my eyes reflexively.

That turns out to be a mistake, because Marisa's suddenly by my side, broom poking into my ribs. "Gotcha -ze!"

I raise my arms up in surrender. "It's your win."

"Heh." Marisa pulls back her broom and with a few flicks of her hand, makes it vanish into hammerspace. "Good try though. Bit of amateur mistake at the end."

_The explosion messed up the extra sense, I suppose. _I look out at the scorched earth. Also, it appears that the attack drained off most of the charge. _So... extrasensory and electrical abilities._

"Well," Marisa pats me cheerfully on the shoulder, "Gotta be off now! Don't stay out too late, okay?"

I watch the ordinary magician leave. _Well, that was just like her. Come and goes like the wind almost the way Aya does. Okay, I better get back to testing out the other Keyblades- oh wait, I need to name this one first._

It takes me a while to come up with something that satisfies me, but eventually I have it. Sky's Embrace, that's the name of this Keyblade. I haven't seen the keychain flash in a long time, but the sight of it encourages me quite a lot.

_Alright, next should be... Flan's, I guess. Should be easy to draw out._

And it is. Flan's Keyblade is gaudy; the handle is red, while the guard is a series of white ruffles in a heart shape, with a yellow ribbon where the two connects. The long crimson shaft is shaped like a blade, narrowing slightly near the middle, then flaring out at the end like one of those clock hands. Lining it on either side are narrow multicolored sections in the colors of the rainbow, and the black bit resembles the suit of Clubs, or the end of Flan's Laevatein. The keychain itself is a red heart, with Flan's wings hanging on either side, curving along with the border of the heart. The whole thing exudes power, but I can tell it's sleeping.

_This is what I'd call a demon blade... and it really reminds me of Phantom Blossom in the sense that it's an one-handed actual weapon. _I touch the shaft gingerly, tracing along its length; it murmurs something I can't make out, but makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. _Crap... this is another Life Eater-level Keyblade. Super dangerous and not to be used unless in dire circumstances. I'll name it later._

The next Keyblade I bring out is Sakuya's. Once again, the shaft resembles a clock hand, but at least this one is justified. It's slightly shorter compared to the previous one, gray in color, and with silver veins winding across it. Three of Sakuya's knives lined up in parallel, silver-bladed and blue-hilted, form the bit. The connecting point between the guard and the handle is large, and holds a miniature clock with a single hand frozen at the twelve mark. The rest of the guard is a dark blue, and is circular in shape, while the grey handle has a thumb button just like Burst Needle. The keychain is the face of a clock, with a single knife crossing its surface diagonally.

_I'm assuming this allows me to stop time... let's give it a try. _Crouching down, I pick up a stone and toss it up in the air before pressing the button, but there's no change in the speed of its fall. _Well, that didn't work. Perhaps there's a condition I'm not satisfying... Sky's Embrace required me to move around, so maybe this is the same, and maybe Flan's one too... _

I toss the stone again, but this time I slash through it with the Keyblade, creating a small radial burst of silver lines. That proves to be the trigger; the Keyblade hums slightly, and the stone suddenly slows down to about half of its falling speed for two seconds before resuming falling like before. When I check the clock, I can see the hand has shifted minutely to the right.

It takes several minutes of experimenting, but I eventually manage to understand its ability. Whatever moving object I cut through is slowed down slightly in every way (I cut a stone, then tried to push it. There was a slight resistance to the motion), and I accumulate a charge as shown on the Keyblade's clock. Right now, I have about a quarter charge on it after cutting through God knows how many stones and twigs. Gathering a handful of leaves, I toss them up into the air and press the button.

_Well. Looks like it's a time slow instead of a time stop. _I glance at the timer. _So it's a minute timer, and I have fifteen seconds in real time's worth of acceleration. Not exactly sure how much that translates to here, but- _My free hand flashes out and I nab every single one of the leaves. _Wait, why did I think of boxing at that moment? _(4) _Meh, it looks like that took me... two seconds to perform. I estimate I'm accelerated by about four times? That's quite a lot..._

Maybe I should test myself against Aya next time, using a combination of this, Burst Needle, and Phantom Blossom's dual blade mode. Who knows how fast I'll go?

Anyway, I should get around to-

"Oh, Ikuto. Fancy meeting you here."

I turn to see Sakuya of all people standing between two trees, a basket hanging off one arm, filled with mushrooms. Naturally, I get déjà vu.

"Sakuya, what a coincidence, huh?"

She nods. "Yes it is. What were you doing?"

I explain things briefly to her, then remember THAT method of naming, and naturally suggest it to her. Sakuya smiles warmly, and agrees. When I hold out the Keyblade, she clasps her hand over mine, and I can feel her fingers subtly caressing my palm.

"Been missing me already?" I ask softly.

"Yes." Sakuya replies just as softly.

We slowly draw closer to each other, until our lips meet in a kiss. The contact kindles a warm feeling in my chest, which grows the longer we hold it. Then we finally part.

"Silver." I murmur, thinking of the one color that defines her the most.

"Flame." Is her response.

The keychain flashes, and warmth pours through our linked hands. When I look, the blade of the knife on the keychain is now covered in a shroud of white flame. The Keyblade that burns brighter off the time of its victims, Silver Flame... not too ostentatious, I suppose.

Sakuya leaves to continue with her mushroom gathering after a few more kisses, and extracting a promise to come visit within the next week for dinner. I find myself missing her very quickly. But why does she keep reminding me of someone else? That just doesn't make sense...

The shadows from the trees will reach me in another hour or so, so I decide to hurry up with the testing. Next up is Meiling's, of course. Solid and dependable, slightly klutzy, but fierce like a tiger. Like Flan and Sakuya, Meiling's Keyblade is easy to summon. But the shape is extremely unexpected.

_What the hell? This thing is HUGE! _I stare at the Keyblade, if it really is one. _The weightless feeling is just WEIRD on this..._

The length of the entire Keyblade from tip to end is up to my shoulders. There isn't a bit on the thing, just a gigantic golden rectangular block a hand-length in width, with a missing zigzag at the end extending to the center of the shaft where a round white crystal is embedded in an indented diamond. The slightly darker guard is octagonal in shape, and the handle is a simple cylinder of the same color. As for the keychain, it's a star, the same star that Meiling wears on her hat, just without the kanji for 'Dragon' on it.

The slash test reveals that the whole thing is stubbornly solid, just like Wavebreaker. But surely Meiling's Keyblade has to be more than a glorified club, right?

I spend some time pondering it, swinging the weapon around in the air like some crazy idiot. Suddenly, I start singing some apparent nonsensical words as I wave the Keyblade up and down with my arm locked straight.

_Oh my God, I'm singing Levan Polka. _(5) Feeling self-conscious, I stop and dematerialize the weapon. _Yeah... maybe I should come back to this one later... let's get Patchy's Keyblade out, and maybe Koa's after that._

Patchy's Keyblade is the hardest one to call out yet. Not surprising, considering that her bond with me is different from the rest of the girls. I had to think of her titles to get a better fix on her personality, like 'Unmoving Great Library', etc. But it eventually forms in my hand.

Looking at it, the first thing that comes to my mind is, _A fitting Keyblade for a woman of the library._

The bit is a flat image of a book, blue in cover with a black key in its center. The round shaft is a light brown, and it's quite short. However, it's the handle that stands out. The guard and the pommel are both attached to narrow sticks of wood, and locked in on both ends of those sticks are scrolls, more for aesthetic design than function. The keychain is slightly odd, however, as it shows a book with bat wings spread out on either side.

_is this related to Koa as well? I'm fairly sure Patchy has no bat- WOAH! _

The reason for my surprise is that the black key on the bit suddenly detached and grew bat wings, and is currently hovering in front of me. I take another look at the chip... and my suspicions are confirmed. This Keyblade is a combination of Patchy and Koa.

Its ability takes a while to decipher. At first, I thought all it could do was to give a remote-controlled flying key; fun to mess around with, but not very useful overall. I couldn't use the Keyblade as a focus for my magic no matter how much I tried, until I laid a hand on the book. Turns out that THAT was the trigger to using magic with it. When I channeled fire magic through my hand there, the picture of a flame appeared on the book, and I could use fire magic through the Keyblade, and vice versa for the other types of magic.

What makes the Keyblade special is what I've come to call the 'familiar' key. The two keys were originally one, and that creates several very COOL ways of using magic with them. The first is that I can use the familiar key to redirect the initial shot I fire from the main Keyblade. The second, is that I can make the shot originate from the familiar key, which I can later redirect with the main Keyblade. The last, is the combination of both to form a powered-up burst of magic!

Actually, now that I've listed them out... it doesn't actually seem all that awesome. Meh.

I name it Spellbinder in the end. It's not really that amazing a name, but the keychain flashes with a feeling I recognize as mute acceptance. _This Keyblade really seems like Patchy... hardly fazed by anything..._

Well, it's reasonable to extrapolate from there, and realize that Meiling's Keyblade has a Ki-related ability. Unfortunately, my growling stomach informs me that I am in the need of sustenance, and that means my experiments shall have to be put on hold. Well, at the very least, I can just see how Remi's Keyblade looks like...

What.

This is...

It can't be, can it?

Blink, rub eyes, blink again.

Nope, no mistake or hallucination.

The bit is formed by two fangs curving slightly inwards, with normal-sized 'teeth' in between them. The shaft resembles an ordinary sword, straight and tapering to a point near the end, with tiny spikes near the hilt. The guard is shaped like Remi's bat wings, but linking to the pommel when they bend sharply rather than curve. The handle is knobbly, like there are vines wrapping around it, and there are tiny thorns that make it difficult to hold the Keyblade properly. The keychain is a single cross, and every single part of the Keyblade is a dark blood-red color. While I've never encountered all these details before, it isn't the first time I've seen this weapon.

Remi's Keyblade is the same Keyblade that guy in black used.

* * *

><p>"Hey~ Wassuuuup?" I call as I walk into the store.<p>

The bespectacled grey-haired man gives me an odd look, before recognition comes over his face. "Your name was Ikuto, wasn't it? I haven't seen you around for quite a while already."

"Rinnosuke-san." I nod to him. "How has business been?"

"Slow, actually." Rinnosuke tilts his head slightly. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

I grin. "Yep. Anything you'd like me to identify?"

He smiles eagerly. "I just picked up a few things recently. Some of them seem to be related to those 'laptops' from before."

I shrug. "Let's see them then."

What Rinnosuke shows me turns out to be a cooling fan for the laptop. His ability to discern the name and function of items apparently didn't work well enough to tell him _what_ they were used to cool. I chuckle when he asks me why people would want to cool their food down, unless it was too hot to eat.

"No, no, you see, these computers, their use of energy isn't entirely efficient," _Then again, nothing is in reality. _"And part of that energy is lost as heat, which goes out to the surrounding parts. However, if they get too hot, the computer won't work properly, so this helps to keep things cool." I explain.

Rinnosuke nods understandingly. "I see. That would explain why this 'plug' fits into there, because they are meant to be used together."

Ahh... the wonders of a USB port. Making things easy for luddites.

_Then again, Rinnosuke's not really a luddite. He's pretty smart._ I think to myself. "So, what else have you got?"

I spend most of the afternoon just messing around in his shop, but mainly talking to him to get an idea of the going-ons in Gensokyo. He heard about that Giriko idiot of course, but due to location issues, never met the guy. However, Marisa apparently has, and whacked the guy with her broom. Not surprising, but I'm more interested in why she was in the village in the first place. Bad terms with her father there and all...

I take my leave of Rinnosuke after begging a can of cola off him. _He might not have a fridge, but it doesn't matter because I have Cirno's ring! _With a flourish, the can is encased in a thick layer of ice. By the time it melts, it should be cold enough. _Now, who should I visit next...?_

Come to think of it, why hasn't Yukari come sticking her nose into my business? With the trouble I have getting to Myouren Temple, wouldn't it throw her plans for me off? Unless... I rub my chin thoughtfully. She could be expecting me to do something about it myself, or this is a hint that I shouldn't be staying at Myouren Temple next? In that case, where should I-

"Ikuto-sama!"

_What the fu-_

Something fairly light crashes into my side and clamps down onto my body with a fairly HEAVY grip. It takes me a few seconds to realize I've just been glomped by Alice.

"Alice?"

"Yes! I've missed you!"

_Wow, so this is how it feels like to have a fangirl? _"What were you doing out here?" I turn my head.

And come eye-to-face with Shanghai.

_HOLY FUCKING SHIT! _"AAAHHH!" I scream and jerk away.

With Alice still holding onto me, that movement results in the both of us crashing down to the floor. And with my typical luck, that puts me on top of Alice with her skirt bunched up near her hips and my thigh pressing between her legs.

"Ah..." Alice blushes and turns her head aside. "If this is... what you want..."

"Uhh..."

She's looking decidedly rumpled; her collar is down enough that I can see the black band around her neck, and I'm pretty sure she's purposely breathing in such a way as to emphasize the movement of her chest.

A thumping against the back of my head tells me that Shanghai is expressing her displeasure by kicking me.

I clear my throat. "Not today, I'm afraid."

"Are you sure?" Alice presses.

_Wow, she's REALLY serious about this, huh? _I shake my head and get off her. "Quite sure." I say firmly.

"Then..." Alice sits up, legs curled back in a childish sitting position. "Just a kiss?"

_Wow, she really knows how to use the puppy dog eyes trick... _"Fine." I give in.

Naturally, she turns it into a full tongue-wrestling session, going so far as to grab my head with both hands to keep me there. I let her do as she pleases, since she isn't actively groping me, but neither do I touch her back, because she doesn't need the encouragement. I finally help her up after a few minutes of making out.

Alice brushes down her dress and checks her appearance before looking at me again. "Ikuto-sama, please come and visit me sometime?"

"I'll try." I concede.

That makes her smile brightly, and she flies away with Shanghai perched on her shoulder.

_Come to think of it, I haven't really practiced with my magic strings, have I? _On a whim, I craft a doll out of ice, complete with movable joints. _Attach strings, and there we go. Huh... it's easier than I expected. Either my skills didn't deteriorate that much, or it benefited from my training with Patchy. Guess it's the latter._

I judge my can of cola to be sufficiently chilled, and shatter the remainder of the ice still on it. Cracking open the tab, I take a DAMN GOOD drink of goddamn cola!

It's been THAT long, so sue me.

After I finish drinking it, I crush the can and tuck it away for proper disposal later. Just because no one's around to see doesn't mean I should litter. Come to think of it, how does Rinnosuke get rid of them when he's done drinking, anyway? The question remains in my mind as I fire up the wind runes and zoom off in the direction of the village.

Actually, it feels like that one night where I stayed with Akyuu wasn't really enough to impress onto me the fact that I'm no longer living in the mansion. Everything seems new and nostalgic at the same time... And thus, I indulge myself, with the few coins I made from my jobs this morning and identifying stuff for Rinnosuke.

_First up, a proper dinner! And the choice is... RAMEN! _I enter the store and take a seat at the counter. "One beef ramen!"

"Got it!" The waitress smiles. "One beef!" She passes on my order to the cook in the back.

Within minutes, a steaming bowl of ramen is in front of me, and I dig in with gusto. It makes me wish I had saved the cola for afterwards, because it really, really, REALLY tastes GOOD. I finish it within ten minutes. Not as fast as Naruto, but then again, who's competing? (6)

"Another one, make it a chicken miso!"

"You got it! Chicken miso!"

I come across a few of the children who I recognize from Keine's school, and play around with them a little. I spot Keine lurking nearby, but she doesn't approach, and I still don't feel comfortable enough to get close to her. I'll have to do so sometime, however. This ache in my chest is getting troublesome; I don't want to remain on bad terms with her too long. The problem is how to even get close to her to do so... just rushing in isn't going to work this time, I can tell.

_Where should I go... perhaps to see Nitori? Or test my luck with Momiji? Say, it's autumn, maybe I can see Aki and her sister... forgot their names again..._

As I walk through the village, I notice Himeko passing by in the other direction with groceries. After going over to say hi, I volunteer my services in helping her carry some of the load.

"That Tanamura's gone already. Good riddance." Himeko huffs. "If I ever see him around again, I'll give him a good whack with my Cyclone!"

I look at her. "You know, most people name swords, but you're the first person I've seen who named a stick."

"It's a worthy stick." She replies as though it explained everything.

_In her case, I suppose it does. She has no formal training, but instincts that put her on the same level as some master-class exponents. That's good enough. _"Hm. So when did he leave?"

"He was out clear through noon. Wanted some of our stock when he woke up, but didn't get it." Himeko cackles. "He'll feel that on his bum for a week."

"I see."

I look up at the sky. It's nearing winter, so the sun is nearly out by now. I'm having trouble deciding if I should spend another night in the village, and if so, whether to spend it with Akyuu again.

"Need a place to stay?"

"Well..."

Whatever my answer was going to be, it's interrupted by the appearance of Yukari, who steps out from around a corner.

"Hey, Yukari, I was expecting..." I trail off on seeing her grim expression. "What's wrong?"

"I made a mistake."

"What?" _She actually admitted she made a mistake? Regarding what?_

"I underestimated the problem that outsider posed. Deal with him for me."

I frown, then realize she's referring to Giriko Tanamura. "Huh? Why can't you-"

Yukari shakes her head, her mouth thin. "My power will set things off if I get too close, and since Ran and Chen bear a portion of it as well, I cannot send them. Which is why I am asking you."

I hand the groceries off to Himeko, who hurries off with a quick goodbye. _Guess she doesn't want to spend too much time with us... _"What's the issue then?" Even I can tell that Yukari is deadly serious at the moment.

"Stop that man by any means necessary. On the rare chance that he actually succeeds... you will have ten minutes at most before the seal fully breaks to defeat _her_."

"Who?" I ask, wondering who is Yukari referring to.

"I will drop you as close as I can." Yukari doesn't seem to have heard my question. "Hurry."

That's all the warning I get before the ground drops out from beneath me. _Dammit Yukari, _I think without my usual irritation; her mood got through to me, _Stop doing that._

I fall into a wooded area, and it takes me a while to recognize the place as the Forest of Magic. I'd normally get angry that she dropped me into a place I came from earlier today, but something is causing my instincts to tingle in danger. They are telling me I should flee, but I ignore them and head towards the origin instead. Yukari is such a bad influence...

I hear them before I see them.

"Leave Rumia alone!"

"Shut up! Stupid kid, you don't know what it's like here!" There's the sound of flesh hitting flesh. "Keep bothering me with your 'Is that so's, will you!"

_Oh fuck. I REALLY hope that there's no such thing as EX-Rumia. _Channeling Ki, I put on more speed, and start jumping off the tree trunks.

When I finally get into seeing range, I see that Giriko is slapping a crying Rumia, holding onto her shoulder with one hand as he does so.

"STOP IT! LET GO OF HER!" I shout, making both of them turn towards me.

"You again." Giriko spits. "Siding with these _youkai_?"

"You don't know anything." I say coldly. "Now let her go."

"Bastard." Then a smirk crosses his lips. "You aren't the boss of me."

Too late, I realize what he's about to do. And the only thought in my head is, _Someone up there must really hate me._

He grabs the red ribbon on Rumia's head and pulls it off. The response is instant; Rumia suddenly explodes with black energy that seems to suck the light out of the air. As I watch, the shadows of the trees around her suddenly bend and stretch out towards her form, which absorbs them eagerly. But that wasn't all.

"What the FUCK?" Giriko curses. "What did you- AAAAHHH!" He screams as the hand he hit Rumia with suddenly gets engulfed in darkness, one that begins to creep up his arm. "Let go of- AAAARRRGGH! Let go of me! Let go!"

I can only watch, frozen, as his screams turn from angry to fearful. _Shit... so touching it directly is dangerous. He's getting absorbed into her. Why does this Gensokyo have to have an EX-Rumia? Not good, I'm going to have to fight..._

"HELP! HELP ME! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Giriko screams, reaching out for me with his other hand. "PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME! YOU HAVE-"

I watch impassively as the last of him finally gets consumed by the darkness. Honestly, the guy deserves it. And while I like helping people, I'm not going to risk my life for a guy like that. Still, I ready my key. This is going to be a difficult fight, I can seriously tell.

_I have to take her on at long range. First, some more testing. _I create a single ice dagger and fling it at Rumia's form. _Damn, anything physical gets absorbed, and it didn't look like it did a thing._

The shadows finally stop seeping into Rumia, and the full-bodied woman figure of pure blackness _SCREAMS_. I grit my teeth and cover my ears at the impossibly loud sound of it all. It stops after a while, but my ears are still ringing. Then it turns and begins walking... it takes me only a moment to realize its headed for the village.

_Have to stop it! Ten minutes! _I swiftly summon Wavebreaker and fire a mild shot, which bursts against the back of the head. _Hey, it worked! So my long range Keyblade abilities work on it! Uh oh..._ I quickly jump aside after seeing it turn towards me.

And barely avoid a shadow spiking up beneath my former location. Seems like EX-Rumia not only has an absorbing shield against physical attacks, but it can attack from long range as well. Swiftly assembling Wavebreaker Form Two, I open fire, moving after every shot. After a while, I take to the trees, leaping from branch to branch. It seems to be sluggish, but my attacks have drawn its attention, and it keeps coming after me.

_Damn... it looks like they don't have much of an effect... _I think as I jump backwards to avoid another spike. _I can't even tell if it's weakening or not, but damn if it isn't weird how those holes in her body close up after a while._

My eyes widen, and I quickly duck as something black lances through where my head was a moment ago. I roll away to land on the ground as more shadows pierce the ground after me; it appears that she can attack from various angles now... Is it an effect of her gradually strengthening self? If so, I really have to hurry.

_What else can I use anyway? It's not like- CRAP! _My last shot goes right through the center of its chest, and it actually huddles over. But I quickly realize it's not because I hurt it, but because it's charging up for a big attack. _DODGE!_

Multiple lines of black burst out from its body, and I perform a few contortions to avoid touching any of them. But the effect of those shadows isn't the piercing one I was expecting; all the trees they hit suddenly get covered in shadows spilling out from the point of contact, and within seconds, the entire tree is absorbed, leaving only holes in the ground where the roots were. A whole area of the forest, became a clearing in just a few moments.

_She's getting stronger too quickly! _I realize in horror. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..."

"_Do not falter!_"

The voice makes me turn in surprise, and I foolishly leave myself open to another shadow lance. A flash of a different type of black crosses my vision, and suddenly someone is standing between me and EX-Rumia. I blink as I realize there's a red glow coming from around the figure, and peek around the side. It's the black-armored guy from the road to Myouren Temple, and he's using a familiar weapon; it is encased in a solid construct of red light, which is stretched out to form a wide shield.

_There's no doubt about it, that's Remi's Keyblade. _"How do you have that Keyblade?" I demand.

"_Not the time. Abandon that weapon, it will not work against her._"

I grit my teeth, knowing that he's right. Quickly disassembling Wavebreaker, I swap it out for Burst Needle and inject myself quickly for a good boost.

"_Magic and Ki will work on it._" Black (as I now start referring to him) informs me, dispelling the shield and leaping away to avoid another black beam.

"It's been about three minutes already, that leaves seven!" _If this is how powerful Rumia is when she's not fully awakened, how strong is she actually?_

Seeing that Remi's Keyblade can actually block the attacks, I try to call it out, only to fail. _Why? Why can't I-_

"_Because I am using it._" Black's voice cuts through my thoughts.

I sidestep another black tentacle, "Damn it! Then what should I use?"

"_Whatever you want_."

_Fuck! _"Eternal Inheritance!" I call it out, and swiftly stab it into the ground. "**Clap**!" I bark.

Instantly, two slabs of earth on either side of EX-Rumia burst upwards to smash it between them. It didn't work, however; black lines suddenly draw themselves across the surface, and the whole thing crumbles to reveal the shadowy form... now with tentacles.

_Why does that sound like some lame cheesy sales promotion? _I try an earth spear aimed at its torso, but the shadows consume it quickly.

"_Magic and Ki!_" Black reminds me.

"I know, dammit!" Spellbinder appears in my hand, and I launch a fireball at it after converting its element to fire.

It shrieks in pain when the fire hits, then once again when Black slashes its left arm with a giant sword of red.

_So Remi's Keyblade has the ability to form solid energy constructs... reminds me of Hiramekarei. _(7) _The damage... it's healing, but much more slowly compared to before._

However, EX-Rumia didn't fall for it a second time; when I launched another fireball, it batted the fire away with two thick tentacles, and swayed out of the way of another slash from Black. But the tables have turned for the moment, and we continued attacking. Despite our earlier conflict, my teamwork with Black is nothing short of perfect. We take turns to attack and defend, maintaining a continuous flow of attacks on EX-Rumia and not letting it attack us again. Whereas I use multiple Keyblades for various effects, Black simply relies on Remi's Keyblade throughout. However, it keeps getting stronger as time passes.

"Silver Flame!" It feels right to call out the Keyblade's name, probably because it's new and I'm not entirely used to it yet.

I jump in front of Black with the grey Keyblade in my hand, and quickly slash at all the tentacles aiming to impale him, drawing the time out of them and slowing them down. Black makes use of the opening I created, and thrusts his Keyblade forward, piercing EX-Rumia through the right knee, followed by a horizontal slash that goes through the other thigh.

Just as the tentacles recover from their slowed state, Black returns and cuts them up. This time, I'm the one who attacks; accelerating with Silver Flame, I quickly swap it out for Spellbinder, and use metal magic through the familiar key to implant four metal daggers into the ground around EX-Rumia. The surroundings crackle with energy as I aim the source in my left hand at the being enclosed within the square.

"Sky's Embrace! **Thunder Cage**!"

Lightning shoots out from the end of my weapon, hitting EX-Rumia in the chest. It doesn't stop there, as the electricity arcs outwards to hit the metal daggers before bouncing back to strike EX-Rumia again. The final effect results in it getting the shocking of its life, tearing away the shadows on its body.

_Four minutes or so left! _I swap out for Patchy's Keyblade once again and channel earth magic into it.

"_Don't let up!_" Black warns as the cage finally fades, the energy charge having run out.

"Yeah!"

Somehow, the idea of what to do is almost clinical in nature; I stab Spellbinder into the ground, summoning several rock pillars around EX-Rumia. Before it can destroy them, I disintegrate them first by sending my familiar key through them, creating a heavy cloud of dust around it. It tries to escape, but Black has already pinned its feet down and jumped away. I switch over to fire and launch a fireball at the familiar key floating out of the range of the boundaries, which reflects the fireball back towards the cloud while I use the extra time to distance myself from the blast area.

The dust cloud becomes a roaring inferno that even my face can feel the heat of at this distance I'm at. Since both earth and fire magic were used, it probably managed to affect EX-Rumia. However, I don't waste time; this time I call out Meiling's Keyblade and pour Ki into it.

_Wow, it accepts the Ki more easily than anything else I've ever tried! _As the flames die out, I can see a shadowy form staggering around trying to find its balance, and rush back in. _Here goes!_

Overhead smash! Bash in the knees from the side! Circle around and hit it in the shoulder blades! The head again! Now the arms, left and right! Lower back! Head once more! Swing, swing, swing, swing, SWING!

"_GET BACK!_" Black roars from behind me.

I jump back instantly as the black form suddenly overflows with energy. _Shit! How can it be powering up this fast? Wait, huh? _I suddenly realize I'm a lot further back than I should be. _How did I... Oh, I see now..._ I realize it after seeing the new gauntlets and greaves I'm sporting.

Golden in color, they have green veins running parallel with my limbs on them, and there's a glowing circle in the center of both of my palms. The memory of what happened moments before come back to me; in my haste to get away, I instinctively transformed all the Ki in my body to Green type, and I twisted the handle around in the Keyblade, causing it to disassemble into multiple pieces and reassemble itself into its current form. Its ability is clear; it enhances my Ki ability greatly, probably with a different piece of equipment for each type.

"_Focus!_"

I realize that several black tentacles are currently aiming towards me, and react accordingly. "Table flipping!" I dig my fingers into the ground and throw up a slab of rock into the path of the tentacles.

It doesn't do much to block them, but it buys me enough time to dodge again, jumping a great distance away from the thing. Once I land, I change the items back into its Keyblade form. Channeling Blue Ki, I twist the handle. This time, the pieces assemble themselves around my right arm.

The equipment is a thick sleeve around my lower right arm, thicker over the back of my arm. There's a black groove running parallel to it. Basically, it's a hand cannon, with a large pore facing the same direction as whichever direction I point my arm in. The more power I pour into it, the longer the line of light that fills up that black groove.

I growl, thrusting my arm forward. "BLAST!" I yell.

A large blue beam fires out of the pore towards the form of EX-Rumia, only to get batted away. _Fuck! It's not working!_

"_Blue Ki is not your specialty!_" Black snaps as he fires another red lance through its shoulder. "_It will do no good against her!_"

_That means only Red and Purple would work against it? But they are both close-range types! _

Suddenly, EX-Rumia flickers and vanishes.

_What?_

"_MOVE!_"

I realize that it didn't vanish, it just moved too fast; it's right above me, claws primed to tear into my skin.

_Orange Ki!_ _Change!_

Black claws dig into a veil of orange light, and it howls in frustration at being denied its prey. The equipment for Orange Ki is a miniature round shield mounted on my arm, one that opens up to form a larger energy version. EX-Rumia howls again, only to get blasted aside by Black, who follows it up with a giant red hammer on top of its head.

"_Three minutes left!_" Black warns.

_What can I do? What can I do? _I think furiously.

_Can we play? _

I pause. _Okay, now I'm hearing things... or perhaps not? _I try to recall the last time something like this occurred.

_Flan wants to play, Onii-chan. _Sure enough, Flan's voice speaks up again in my mind.

That's when I recall it; back when I was fighting a berserk Mokou, Yuyuko's voice told me to use Life Eater.

I can't resist smirking. "Heh. What is it with dangerous Keyblades and the situations that calls for them? Fine then... you'll have your fun, Flan." The shield transforms back into its Keyblade form, then into Flan's Keyblade.

Taking a deep breath, I let my instincts run free with it. I start giggling, then break into a dash towards EX-Rumia. Tentacles dart towards me, but I only dodge them by the slightest margin, occasionally slapping them aside with my weapon. It's dangerous, but I hardly feel that way; it feels fun instead. The Keyblade is overwhelming my feelings with its own.

But as I continue to dodge around the tentacles to approach, I notice that the colored sections along its length are beginning to light up. _Now that I think about it, all the new Keyblades seem to have some condition to activate their ability. Not sure for Remi's, but Iku's needs movement, Sakuya's needs me to cut through moving things, Meiling and Patchy's require the use of Ki and magic respectively, and now Flan's... is triggered by the level of opposition I'm up against!_

Even as I can hear Flan's crazy laughter, the edges of the Keyblade begin opening outwards, giving it a saw edge, similar to Flan's myself, I begin the counterattack; the tentacles are shredded before my swings, and in one smooth swipe as I vault over it, I slice off its right arm entirely. Before it can reattach the arm, however, Black vaporizes it.

EX-Rumia howls and thrashes around, scarring the earth around it. I continue to dodge at close range, slicing off tentacles only when I'm in definite danger of getting hit.

"_There is not much time left! Get back!_" Black warns me, and I get out of there.

I land next to him, breathless with exhilaration. "What's the plan?"

"_A fully powered blast should weaken her enough for you to seal her once more._" Black holds up a red ribbon, one that I recognize as Rumia's. "_Your Keyblade knows what to do._"

I glance at the weapon in my hand. As though sensing my gaze, it begins to transform. The bit rotates, moving to the tip of the shaft rather than hanging off one side. The toothed edges push themselves out, and I can see that the crystal teeth on each side is connected to a single black tendril that extends out from the guard, exactly like Flan's wings, except that they remain parallel with the blade. Heeding the impulse coming from it, I aim the black point of the Keyblade at the struggling shadowy form. The wing crystals begin shifting in color rapidly, energy draining inwards from each to accumulate into a single multi-colored ball at the tip.

Next to me, Black does the same, but takes out a bottle from a hidden pocket. He crushes it in an armored fist, and a red fluid drips out to land on the red Keyblade. Then the smell hits my nose, and I realize that Remi's Keyblade is activated by blood. That explained the spiky points on the handle; the user has the choice of wounding himself and feeding his own blood to the weapon to activate its power. Sure enough, as the blood vanishes into the weapon, it begins to emit an intense red light that exudes its own bloodthirsty (pun intended) pressure. Said light begins to flow along its length, focusing into a reddish ball at the tip of the shaft.

Somehow, EX-Rumia seems to sense the charging-up power, and suddenly bursts into a dash straight for us. Everything begins to slow down...

I can see the shadows pulling back from its head, revealing the start of long blonde hair. The crimson eyes of a predator are fixed on Black and I, as a shadowed hand pulls back with a sword forming in its clawed grasp.

The seal is nearly broken, and we all know it.

Then both Keyblades fire their payload, point-blank into EX-Rumia's face. _Take that, bitch._

The combined red and iridescent beams drive it back into the center of the crater formed earlier, and the whole thing explodes with an intense flare of light. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I step back slightly to avoid getting knocked over by the shockwave. After several nerve-wracking seconds, the light fades, revealing EX-Rumia's trembling form, bereft of her darkness and lying on her front.

_Long hair, black dress... the shadows have been blown away, but they're slowly growing back. _A touch at my side draws my attention, and I turn to see a red ribbon held out to me.

"_Touch her with this, quickly._" Black orders me.

_Why me? _I want to ask, but I also know that there's no time to waste. Once more, I call on Meiling's Keyblade, and this time I activate its Red Ki form.

Giant golden gauntlets appear on my arms, nearly reaching all the way down to the ground. On the back of each one is a thick bulge with a large, dark red cylinder, capped with gold at the end. I flex my fingers, and the thick digits that form the fingers move accordingly as well. Getting used to the configuration takes me a few seconds, after which I grab the ribbon from Black's hand and jump into the crater after EX-Rumia.

The shadows are growing across her form again, and somehow I can hear a cracking sound; I don't have much time left. Pouring as much Red Ki as I can handle into my right arm, I pull it back as I fall towards the collapsed body. Out of the corner of my right eye, I see the cylinder starting to glow, responding to the Ki building up inside it.

"HAAAAA-" I growl, feeling my chest tightening as I gather more and more power. "YAAAAHHHHHH!"

A golden fist slams into the back of the body, creating a powerful shockwave that deepens the crater even more. EX-Rumia cries out in pain, but the shadows only retreat slightly.

"NOT OVER YETTTTT!" I scream. "HYAAAH!"

The cylinder slams down into the gauntlet like the hammer of a gun striking the bullet, and this time, the shockwave explosion is much greater; the earth sinks at least twice as much as the earlier impact, and dust shoots up from the cracks in the ground. The shadows burst into wisps and fades away.

"_DO IT!_" Black roars down at me.

I raise the ribbon in my left 'hand', and slap it down onto the body. The effect is instant; the ribbon glows brightly, and so does EX-Rumia's form. Then both are suddenly consumed by darkness, and they begin to shrink.

That was when I realize that something's wrong. My fist is stuck, and the darkness is engulfing me as well. The pressure is horrendous, and I can feel my bones creaking slightly.

"What the FUCK?" I yelp, trying to pull away. "Hey! Little help here?"

I turn around, but Black is gone. _THAT BASTARD! _I think furiously.

Then I know nothing more.

* * *

><p>(1) Utada Hikaru's SImple and Clean, English version! If you managed to guess it before scrolling down here, then good for you. Have a cookie or something.<p>

(2) Blatant Dragonball Z reference... although come to think of it, Marisa pulls the pose off well.

(3) Reference to History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi. Seikuuken is about the control of an area within one's arm length, allowing the user to respond to any intrusion or action undertaken within the area.

(4) Reference to Hajime no Ippo. Ippo first started on the path to boxing by having to catch multiple leaves falling from a tree with his hands, without dropping a single one.

(5) A very catchy song with lyrics I don't understand. It has a few videos of its own, particularly one of Bleach's Orihime spinning the leek.

(6) Uzumaki Naruto's love of ramen is well-known to anyone who's familiar with the series.

(7) Another Naruto reference, Hiramekarei is one of the seven swords wielded by the Seven Mist Swordsmen, and has the ability to shape chakra into physical constructs.

And that's another chapter done! Now, I'm going to apologize, for I am putting this story on hiatus for the moment to work on other stuff. So you'll have to wait to find out the names for Remi, Flan, and Meiling's Keyblades. Feel free to throw out suggestions though, maybe some of yours might sound better than mine.

So OC introduced and killed off in the same chapter! Woo yeah. The other OC... well, he uses Remi's Keyblade, but that's all that's known about him. There were quite a few theories on his identity, thanks to you readers who tried their luck at guessing... keep it up then!

This chapter took a while, but I can say that I had been planning the fight against EX-Rumia for ages beforehand. To be honest, quite a lot of things were planned out beforehand, like the Keyblades themselves; I honestly admit I had the idea for Meiling's Keyblade all the way back since I FIRST started writing this fic. Thus, when I started the fight scene, the words began to pour right out from my mind. Once again, let us say 'BANZAI' for random writing!

I've recently started reading Naruto fanfiction, and found some really good ones that I wish would continue to be updated. Vulpine by Saphroneth and Kyubed:Shinobi's Revenge on Naruto by ContraBardus are two especially gripping reads. Innortal is also another fun read due to his time loop storylines... Sending a photo of yourself mooning someone with the caption 'Kiss' is pretty funny, especially so when it's Shinji doing it to Gendou in response to the one-word letter 'come'.

Lastly, for all you readers who have been following this fic faithfully, thank you very much and look forward to what's going to come with the next update!


	56. Chapter 55: I'm back, in time

So, I'm finally back to writing for this fanfic again. Suffice to say, real life is taking a heavy toll on my free time now that I've joined the working ranks right out of school. I'll explain more in the note at the end of this chapter, but my updating speed will naturally be much slower compared to how I was back then.

Anyway, before I start with this chapter, let's begin with a brief recap of what Keyblades Ikuto possesses and their abilities, in the order he obtained them.

Future Gazer (Ikuto) - Base Keyblade, no effects.

1. Phantom Blossom (Youmu) - Increases physical abilities, with sword skills.

2. Life Eater (Yuyuko) - Creates 'bombs' on whatever it strikes, to be remotely triggered afterwards.

3. Blaze Revive (Mokou) - Healing flames, at the cost of increased pain. Flames can deliver mild if desired.

4. Eternal Inheritance (Kaguya) - Provides one of five possible equipments that provides a defense against Water, Fire, Earth, Wood, or Metal.

5. Wavebreaker (Reisen) - Unable to cut, but can fire curving bullets. Can be modified to become a more powerful rifle form.

6. Burst Needle (Eirin) - Fires needles that can be loaded with either enhancing or debilitating drugs.

7. Wire Performance (Alice) - Generates fine wires that can bind or slice.

8. Reaper's Toll (Komachi) - Cut targets can be induced to attract or repel each other

9. Record Rewrite (Keine) - Currently sealed due to Keine's actions. Can temporarily conceal, reverse, or progress a target's history, but different targets require more hits to trigger the effect.

10. Festival Horn (Suika) - Boosts physical strength tremendously, plus converts alcohol into further enhancement.

Cirno's Ring - Stores magical energy in the form of ice crystals, with one crystal regenerated a day to a maximum of six. Grants Slow Fall ability.

11. Sky's Embrace (Iku) - Manipulation of electricity within a range that increases with Ikuto's movement, similar to building up a static charge.

12. Unnamed Keyblade (Flandre) - Builds up power the more risks Ikuto takes, which increases its destructive force, which can be released in the form of a powerful beam.

13. Spellbinder (Patchouli & Koakuma) - Enhances Ikuto's meager magic skills, plus provides a controllable familiar through which he can cast and redirect spells.

14. Silver Flame (Sakuya) - Steals 'time' from whatever it cuts, which can be used to increase Ikuto's own, accelerating his speed.

15. Unnamed Keyblade (Meiling) - Can be transformed into seven different forms, each corresponding to the seven types of Ki, enhancing Ikuto's use of them.

16. Unnamed Keyblade (Remilia) - Absorbs Ikuto's blood to release a red energy which can function as a solid construct, or used as a destructive blast.

* * *

><p>It's been an hour since Yukari dropped me back into Gensokyo, and I've been sneaking around trying to catch up on current things. If what she told me was correct, there's another me around, at the SDM training up. But the problem is that I can't approach to confirm it, as Meiling would most likely sense me before I even get close.<p>

It's sometime past the middle of summer, and after spending slightly more than an hour recollecting my memory of what happened before I got dropped into the Monster Hunter world, I realize that the time is shortly after the summer concert at Eientei. I make my way over there to check, and find a few traces of the preparations for the event left there.

_Well, that confirms how far back I went. _I slipped back through the bamboo trees, pondering things to myself. _Now, what should I do? _

While Yukari dumped me back into Gensokyo without much of an explanation, she did leave behind a list of instructions for me to follow, along with an explanation as to why I should follow them.

Naturally, the top thing on the list is that my past self must not know that I'm currently here, because I didn't know back then, and the introduction of the knowledge now would create a paradox too powerful for the Paradox Machine to counter. The consequences of that... well, best not to go there at all.

Second, it was recommended that I avoid letting those whom I was formerly close with before the time slip know about my presence, as there was the risk of them letting the knowledge slip to my past self. It's this rule that makes things quite difficult for me, because that means the options I have for my accommodations are quite limited.

A beast-like youkai comes charging towards me, and I sidestep it almost absently before extending my left hand and releasing a burst of compressed air to send it flying away. I watch its flight out of the corner of my eye to see if it's still going to come after me, but apparently I managed to scare it off, because it doesn't come at me again.

The time spent in the Monster Hunter world seemed to have affected my outlook slightly, because despite all the practicing I did with my magic, including the use of the wind runes tattooed on my limbs, I never once used it on a hunt. But now that I'm back in Gensokyo, it seems almost normal to use it.

_Infected by the common sense of the world around me, or something like that._ I muse as I start channeling magic into the runes, elevating myself off the ground while stabilizing my body with my hand thrusters.

For the time being, I decide to visit some of the other places where my past self didn't frequent.

"Meep meep!" I can't help saying as I zoom past another youkai waiting on the road. (1)

Halfway down the road to Myouren Temple, I suddenly change my mind and decide to go wandering around instead. The atmosphere in Gensokyo is so much different compared to how it was in Pokke; it's not as tense, possibly because the threat level against humans isn't as high. Oh, youkais threaten humans, that's just how Gensokyo is, but the balance here isn't the same.

_Man... my thought processes seem kind of weird lately... _I think as I whack a few fairies around for trying to hit me first. _Another effect of spending too much time away?_

It takes me a while to realize that my whimsy path of action sent me into a heavily-infested area, and that I'm taking all of them a bit too easily.

I twist and lash out with a kick, sending a hulking monster crashing through a tree, while blocking a strike aimed at my side with Future Gazer. Quickly swapping over to Phantom Blossom, I turn the block into a counter-slash that knocks out three others, before tossing the weapon upwards and extending my palms out to the sides.

"HAH!" Twin torrents of wind blast the charging hordes, throwing them back.

I catch my Keyblade as it comes down, and pivot around on my foot to launch a roundhouse kick that wouldn't hit anyone. However, with my Ki added to it, the movement releases a narrow yellow wave that slices into the hide of another youkai. A storm of danmaku comes flying my way from another direction, and I rush at the bullets head on.

A series of slashes with Silver Flame robs them of their speed, before the same slashes done in reverse with Reaper's Toll sends them dispersing away around me. I spin the weapon around in my hand as I advance through the opening created, and thumb the trigger on Silver Flame's handle.

Heavy palm strike to the first youkai. One.

Elbow to the one on the right. Two.

Spinning heel kick to the one on the right. Three.

Follow through with a roundhouse kick to the one going for my back. Four.

Continued follow through, this time with a jumping knee to the chest. Five.

Step on the body, and backflip into a somersault kick to the head of the one in the air. Six.

_And time moves on as before. _I land on the ground, in the middle of where the crowd of youkai just got blown away in what they perceived as an instant.

Something suddenly triggers my awareness, and I turn to look in its direction. Some of the others notice as well, and pause their attacking. The remainder send more bullets my way, and I ready myself to dodge them.

A large burst of flame saves me the trouble; it rushes in from the direction I was already looking in, splitting around me to form a fiery wall that absorbs the projectiles. For a brief moment, I'm surprised that Mokou would be here instead of in the Bamboo Forest, but I soon realize that the flame doesn't belong to her.

"Begone, foul youkai!" An unfamiliar voice shouts, its words punctuated by several more bursts of fire. "Away from the human!"

I can't see anything due to the protective fire around me, but I can hear the sound of the youkais retreating. Sure enough, the fires flicker out to reveal my apparent savior, a short girl dressed in an odd costume.

Just like almost every other Gensokyo character of note, she wears a hat; a tall blue one with crisscrossing white strings and a rounded top, it makes one wonder just how can it stay perched on the head when it looks like it would fall off with the slightest rough movement. The head beneath it has silver hair tied in a ponytail, framing a pleasantly smiling face with bright purple eyes. Her white robes have long flowing sleeves that practically cover her arms entirely, a contrast to the short skirt that exposes her legs below the knee. Around her small boots and the hems of her sleeves are four ribbons of different colors, which makes her stand out in my mind more than she would without them.

_You know, sometimes it feels like ZUN is putting in all sorts of weird fashions with his new characters... _I scratch my cheek thoughtfully. _A bit of a generalization to do so, though._

For now, let's thank her for the help, even though it wasn't necessary. "Thank you for stepping in, but I was quite fine by myself."

"As fellow humans, we should look out for one another, should we not?" She counters, approaching until she comes within four meters of me. "Though in truth, I am a former human."

Now that she's closer, I can see she has yet another ribbon on the front of her robe, which also has a curious pattern on the bottom corner of it.

"Greetings," She places her hands together in a praying gesture and bows slightly, "I am Futo. My clan is Mononobe. May I ask who art thou?"

_Woah... talk about old-fashioned speech. _I blink. _Is it odd that I'm getting turned on a bit by that? That speaking style reminds me a lot of my favorite anime heroine. _"I am Ikuto, that was the name I chose when I came here. How should I address one such as you?" _You aren't the only one who can speak posh, though._

"I see, Ikuto, is it." Futo's hands slip back into their sleeves. "As I have said, I am Mononobe no Futo. You may address me as such."

I suddenly think of a young girl with twintails and carrying a large pink backpack. (2) "Pleased to meet you, Mono_nabe_ no Futo-dono."

The girl twitches. "Mononobe." She corrects.

"Excuse me, I bit my tongue." I lie, sticking my tongue out. Quickly changing the subject, I mention not having seen her around before.

Futo gives me a quick explanation of what I missed while I was training in the SDM. The gathering of spirits I had observed before was due to the impending resurrection of a saint and her followers, and Futo was one of the latter group.

"So who was the first person you met after resurrecting?" I ask out of mild curiosity.

After all, the spirits gathering would most definitely qualify as an incident, and naturally people would go out to resolve it. Most notably of course is-

"Ah, I had met a young girl dressed in white and red." Futo looks upwards in thought as she recounts what she recalled. "I had thought her a trial to face in my own resurrection, but..."

"She beat you, didn't she." I guess.

"Doesn't thou know it is rude to interrupt?" She chastises me.

"Ah, excuse my mistake, Monono-be_ige_ no Futo-dono." I apologize quickly to avoid antagonizing her.

"Mononobe."

"Excuse me, I bit my tongue."

She eyes me suspiciously, but eventually accepts my excuse and goes on with her story. As I predicted, Reimu beat her, and went on to beat the resurrected saint, Toyosatomimi no Miko. It wasn't really necessary, seeing as the spirits dispersed once the resurrection was over, but given how people are like in Gensokyo, it wasn't hard to see it _not_ happening.

Still, standing here all this time makes me feel a bit stupid.

"There is no sense in standing here just talking, perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more suited for it?" I suggest.

Futo nods. "Thou makes a good point. Would thou accept my invitation to visit the place where we reside?"

"Of course. Please, lead the way." I nod, and start walking after her.

No way I'm not interested in seeing a new place in Gensokyo. You know how dangerous some places can be to someone who's simply curious!? It's irritating, I tell you!

Surprisingly, we turn out to be heading for Myouren Temple, but rather than walk straight in through the front gate (where I can see Yoshika sweeping the area), Futo instead goes around through the forested area, which is a bit rough for me since I can't fly like she does. I compensate by hopping through the trees instead, something that draws some of her interest.

As we go, we continue talking a little. Futo reveals her ability to me; she can manipulate feng shui, which I interpret as a different and lesser version of Remi's fate manipulation, as Futo seems to accomplish it with the use of items in addition to her own powers.

Personality-wise, she's quite cheerful. It's like she's smiling all the time. I don't really know much about Taoism, and I even find myself drifting off to sleep sometimes just by listening to her preach about it. But given how she acts when she's talking about Taoism, I can tell she likes it, so I don't say anything about my own disinterest.

While it's still quite bright out, the quiet atmosphere of the cemetery we enter puts me on edge a little.

"There is no need to be worried. Thou art under my protection, and I shall not see harm come to you." Futo reassures me.

I turn to look at her, smiling slightly. "Thanks, I appreciate the-"

"Dooon't come a- WHBLURGH!"

Something suddenly pops out from behind a gravestone in front of us, and I reflexively punch it in the face with my full strength before I realize it. Whoever it was, it went flying head over heels, ricocheting off a gravestone to soar away into the distance.

"Ah." I stare after the thing. _Damn, I didn't know I was this strong now. I put quite a lot of Ki into that hit._

"Ah." Futo echoes my shock. "That was our guard, wasn't it?"

"Uh..." I give her a sheepish look. "Oops?"

"Well, it's not like it will matter soon. Shall we continue on?"

"If you say so." I continue following her.

So saying, we enter the mausoleum. It's dark at first, but the place slowly brightens up as we descend further into the underground. Eventually we emerge out into what appears to be an underground lake beneath a glowing pink sky. At the center of it is a pillar-like structure.

"There it is. Follow me." She starts to float off the ground, before I stop her.

"I can't fly."

Futo looks at me with surprise. "Eh? Thou can't?"

"Nope." I shake my head. "The most I can do is slow my fall and hover-" I stop.

"What is it?"

"Maybe I can try something... Just hold on a moment."

I crouch down and channel Ki into my legs, before kicking off sharply, sending me rocketing several meters upwards. As I feel my ascent start to slow, I activate the slow fall ability and hang in the air for a while. After taking a second to confirm that I'm in no danger of suddenly falling, I start releasing bursts of air from my palms, which serve to propel me forward.

Futo flies up alongside me, and she studies my actions curiously.

"A novel idea. Using wind to carry thy body forward. But what keeps it from falling?"

"I am falling. I just can make it so that I don't fall so quickly." I explain, adjusting my course.

It takes her a while, but she eventually nods. "I see."

By the time I reach the structure, I'm only two meters off the ground. I cut the slow fall and drop down, bending my knees slightly with the landing. Futo lands more gracefully, and proceeds to open the door.

"I could have provided a boat for thou to ride on, actually." She mentions in an aside manner.

"Ah, I apologize. I'm used to dealing with problems on my own."

Futo sniffs and leads the way in. It takes my eyes a while to get used to the dimmer setting within, but I hear the other inhabitant first.

"Oh, Futo. You've returned." The female voice is cultured and elegant, with an underlying tone of interest. "Who have you brought with you?"

My eyes adapt just in time to see Futo go down on one knee. "Crown Princess, this is a human from the land above, who hath expressed interest in meeting you."

I finally manage to see who she's talking to. As always, the first thing I notice is the hair; she has short, pearly blonde hair that stands up in the back, in the shape of two horns. Her clothes are a sleeveless pink blouse on top of a purple skirt, with a black belt around her waist. On her wrists are golden armbands with ornate designs in them, but what catches my attention the most is the pair of headphones she's wearing.

"Do you wish to know?" She asks me suddenly.

"What?"

"I can tell you're curious about these." She tilts her head and gestures at her headphones with her left hand. "Do you wish to know about them?"

"Err, yeah, if you don't mind."

"Insolence!" Futo bursts out, startling me. "You are in the presence of the Crown Princess, Toyosatomimi no Miko! Show some respect!"

Miko holds up a hand. "Peace, Futo. He is not from our time, and thus has no knowledge of our manners."

Futo bows her head again. "As you say, Crown Princess."

"You may leave."

"Yes." Futo picks herself up and walks out of the room, giving me a reproachful look as she passes me.

I straighten up and clear my throat softly, drawing her attention. _Next to her... a sword, and on the other side, something that looks like Shikieiki's board... _"Uh, okay. My name is Ikuto, nice to meet you."

"Well met, Ikuto." Miko responds, smiling slightly. "You certainly are an interesting person. Unlike the other humans I have met, your history is hidden from me."

_She can see the past? Just what is her power, anyway? _"I take it you met a girl, about this tall," I hold my hand out to around Reimu's height, "Dressed in red and white clothing, and..." I trail off, not wanting to bluntly state that she lost to Reimu in a fight.

"I did," Miko confirms, "And we faced each other in battle, only for me to lose shamefully."

I shrug. "Everyone I know loses to her. Anyway, can I-"

"Of course you may ask about what you wish to know."

_I got pre-empted... some kind of mind reading? _"What exactly is your power?" I ask, no longer holding back from being blunt.

"Power? Ah, you mean ability." Miko smiles, this time with clear pride in herself. "When I was young, I was able to listen to the words of ten people speaking simultaneously. After my long sleep and rebirth, I can now hear the desires of humans."

_An emotion sensor? _I wonder.

"Especially now. In your heart is the desire to know, to learn more about me."

I nod cautiously.

"One is defined by their desires, and to know all of one's desires is to know them in their entirety... past, present, and future..."

My mind quickly connects the dots. "So when you meet someone who is lacking desire in some way..."

Miko's self-confident expression flickers. "Indeed. Your intelligence is impressive. Should I encounter such a person," She pauses to give me a pointed look, "I will not be able to identify their self completely."

_Knew I was screwed up in some way. _I muse, before moving on to the next question I had. "So those headphones? You said you could hear, so they're there to..."

"Protect my ears." Miko completes, resting her chin on one hand.

I don't say anything for a while, mulling over her words until she speaks again.

"I can tell there is still much you wish to know. I permit you to ask."

"..." I scrutinize her further.

"What's the matter?" Miko asks, puzzled. "Why do you not satisfy those desires of yours?"

_...that really sounds like an invitation... _"That would... be boring."

Miko's face slips off her hand. "Huh? What?"

"Learning new things is interesting, it makes life exciting." I declare. "If I were to learn everything I wanted to know right now... I would be bored afterwards."

"Huh..."

_Seriously, where the heck do I come up with this stuff? My capability for bullshit is amazing. _"That's why, I'll ask the next time we meet."

Miko stares at me, clearly taken aback by what I said. Then she starts chuckling, increasing in intensity until she's laughing outright.

"How interesting! You truly are an interesting person, Ikuto! I shall remember you for sure!"

Still laughing, she gets up from where she's seated, picking up her sword and stick-board. With a flourish, she tucks the sword into her belt, and holds the board in front of her face, pressing the other hand against its flat surface. In that position, she closes her eyes, as though praying.

"Are you going somewhere?" I can't help asking.

"Indeed. I have no desire to remain in a place beneath the home of those who would oppose my faith." Miko opens her eyes. "Thus, I shall leave this place, and create a new home for me and my followers."

"Your followers? You mean there are others besides Mototobe no Futo?"

"Mononobe no Futo." Miko corrects patiently.

"Excuse me, I bit my tongue." I reply automatically.

"Did you really?" She asks amusedly.

I chew on my tongue and respond, "'Scuze me, ah eet ah 'unge."

Miko eyes me momentarily before turning away. "Interesting, indeed." She points her board at the door that Futo left through. "Futo, bring me my cloak!"

Almost immediately it opens to admit my guide to this place, who comes in carrying a purple bundle. "Here, Crown Princess."

_Purple to signify royalty, huh. _I watch on as Miko slings it around her neck, a large flowing cloak that catches the eye of anyone watching.

"Now, we are ready to leave." She declares, making it flare out with a sweep of her hand. Turning to me, she extends the same hand. "You might not wish to know everything right away, but if you follow me now, you'll be shown something incredible."

_Well, why not? _I shrug, and gesture for her to lead the way.

"Good." The hand holding the board snaps out, and she strikes the wall, creating a small crack in the stone.

As I watch, the crack starts to expand, yet my mind tells me that the size of the crack is remaining the same. I can see another dimension within, a smoky grey world with a completely cloud-covered sky. The tiled ground stretches on endlessly, and I can see the beginnings of a building being constructed.

"This is Senkai (3)." Miko announces, the board still pointed at the crack. "A place where those seeking enlightenment are free of interruptions, and are able to pursue the way of the hermit freely."

She steps through the crack, somehow managing to fit through the incredibly tiny space. Futo follows after her, and seeing no other way but going back the way I came, I do the same. Despite my mind telling me it was impossible, I suspend my disbelief, and enter after them as well.

The difference in the atmosphere is immediately noticeable. The air tasted clean yet rich with something mystical in flavor, almost nourishing. _Say, didn't Akyuu's notes about hermits say something about them being able to sustain themselves off mist? Maybe mist like this?_

Turning around, I see the entrance crack start shrinking, until it returns to its original tiny size.

"You did well to follow us through, Ikuto." Miko compliments me, causing me to turn around to look at her.

I blink. Something about the way she said that made it sound as though it wasn't as easy as it appeared to be.

"How goes the construction, Futo?"

"It should be complete in a week or so."

_A week? Wow, that's fast, considering that all I see are the foundations and part of the main pillars. _I glance over at Futo. _Maybe it's her power that allows for quick building?_

"What you see here is the beginning of a temple to Taoism." Miko explains. "As of now, it is but a simple and boring cluster of wood and stone, but eventually it will become what I have envisioned it to be!"

"I'd like to see it when it's done, then." I say honestly.

"You shall." Miko nods. "But now, I can hear your desire to leave."

I look around at the misty location. "Don't know how to, though."

"It's easy." She answers me confidently. "In theory, space is infinite, thus small or big has no meaning. With one step taken properly, one can traverse a thousand miles."

_I wonder if that's a real saying... or is it some magical theory thing? _"That means..."

"Entering here is half the step. Leaving here is the other half." Miko inclines her head towards me. "That is the small lesson I will teach you."

_That's a damn small lesson, if that's the case... _

I turn away from the pair, and look out over the empty expanse. Deciding to imitate what she did, I bring out my Keyblade, and grip the handle firmly. Behind me, I can hear Miko make an interested sound at the sight of my weapon.

"Everything has a gap... is that how Yukari does it?" I wonder, and jab the point of the Keyblade forward. "One hell of a power this is."

"Anyone can do it." Miko informs me.

When I lower the Keyblade, I realize that despite not feeling any resistance through my action, there's a small crack in the air, similar to the one I had entered this realm through. I look over my shoulder at the two girls, and Miko nods encouragingly.

"Ah, what the hell. Geronimoooo~" I sing out, and step forward.

Something catches my foot, and I stumble slightly, but manage to stay upright. Looking around, I realize I've emerged into a hilly area, although I can see stone stairs going up to my left; looks like I came out around the Hakurei Shrine.

"Splendidly done." I hear Miko's voice say from behind me. "Farewell, Ikuto. Let us meet again."

Turning around, I see nothing but a small crack on a brown pillar. _Wait, pillar? _

I look around again, this time taking more care to pay attention to the details. The air is cooler than it was before I followed Futo, the stone stairs start suddenly without any stone path leading up to them, and the pillar belongs to a _torii_. And lastly, up at the top of the stairs I can see a shrine, but it's not the Hakurei Shrine as I initially assumed.

_Don't tell me... _I start walking up the stairs, approaching the shrine. _That's one hell of a distance to cover just by going through a crack._

When I reach the top of the stairs, the sign tells me that my suspicion was correct. Through Miko's extra-dimensional travel, I managed to arrive at Moriya Shrine.

* * *

><p>"Here I was thinking that Sanae came back early..." The blue-haired woman shook her head before picking up a piece of fried potato and popping it into her mouth. "You do know that you entered without permission, don't you?"<p>

I nod. "But I was feeling hungry, so I decided to borrow your kitchen for a bit."

"Well, I'm pleased with your offering, so I won't punish you for it this time."

Turns out that I happened to drop in just when all three of the shrine's inhabitants were out. Sanae was out gathering faith, Suwako's off playing somewhere, and Kanako was doing her godly duties to the youkais who worship her. After going around the shrine and failing to find anyone, I decided to make myself a small meal since I was getting hungry.

Imagine my surprise when I found that they had an actual fridge, stocked with fresh fish and vegetables, as well as other good stuff to create a well-rounded feast. It was hard reining in the urge to use whatever I wanted, but I managed it, and restricted myself to making a simple snack of fries and fried chicken.

As luck would have it, Kanako came back first. Just in time to catch me coming out of the kitchen with dishes in hand. Good thing she didn't react negatively, and instead asked me why I was in her house. A quick bit of explaining, combined with an offer to share, and we ended up sitting on the porch watching the blue sky.

"Mmm~ This is delicious!" Kanako gulps down the piece of meat in her mouth. "It's so crispy on the outside, yet so juicy on the inside! And the flavor is incredible!"

_Learning from the Felynes paid off. _"I took some lessons in cooking recently."

"Hm? But weren't you training at the vampire's mansion?" Kanako asks, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Or training included cooking as well?"

It appears that she is under the impression that I learned this all from Sakuya. It's not entirely false, considering that the maid was a stern instructor in the art of Cooking Fu, but I did combine that knowledge with what I picked up in the Monster Hunter world to improve the overall taste.

"The latter, actually." I took a piece for myself, savoring the taste of a good dish done well. "Mm... Sanae does the cooking here, right?"

"That's right. She's a good girl, always doing her best."

"One of these days, maybe we should have a sort of cooking competition." I suggest randomly.

"That sounds like an interesting idea." Kanako comments. "I'd volunteer to be a judge."

"But if that happens, chances are you wouldn't be one."

"And why not?" Kanako wants to know.

"If Sanae was participating, then there would be a possibility of biasness. Hence, you wouldn't be allowed."

"Hey, are you saying that I, a goddess, have no integrity?" Despite her words, her tone makes it clear that she's just joking.

"Who knows..." I chow down several fries at once.

Some time passes without either of us saying anything, only eating the food I made. The sun is already starting to descend towards the horizon. There's still no sign of Suwako or Sanae, but I make no move to ask Kanako about them.

Eventually, we finish all the food, and settle back to let it digest.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Kanako asks.

"Well, actually, I'm looking for a new place to stay after I leave the mansion."

"Oh?" Kanako turns to look at me straight. "I suppose one of the choices is this shrine?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided things yet myself. That's why I'm going around checking out possible choices beforehand." I explain.

"As a matter of fact, we do have two extra rooms for guests here." The goddess informs me. "So if you want to stay here it won't be much of a problem putting you up."

"I appreciate the offer. Can I get some time before I decide?"

"Of course." Kanako turns her head to look in front. "Ah, Suwako's back."

I turn to look as well, but don't see anything. Reaching out with my other senses gives me a different answer; the trembling I can feel under my feet is the first warning I get, before the short blonde girl in a hat pops up from beneath the ground.

"I'm ba~ck!" Suwako announces, and notices me right away. "Ikuto! What are you doing here?"

"I just happened to-"

"TACKLE HUG!"

"Wha- OOOUUNGGGH!" The air gets knocked out of me explosively as the blonde missile collides with my midsection. Luckily, I didn't throw up.

"So you did accept my invitation after all!" The girl hugging me around my waist cheers.

_Invitation? When did she invite me? _I wonder, before I finally remember. _Oh yeah, before the concert, I think. But man, that's really long ago to me._

"He's not." Kanako says, causing Suwako to stop and look around my body at her partner goddess.

"What do you mean?"

"Ikuto's only here to inspect the place. He hasn't decided yet."

"Ehhh~?" The smaller of the two whines. "Hurry up and pick this place already~"

"Suwako-sama, Kanako-sama, I've returned!" Sanae drops down in front of us, and straightens her clothes, before finally noticing me there as well. "Ikuto? Why are you here? And..." She eyes the loli hugging me around the waist. "What are you doing?"

"Hell if I know."

We manage to get Suwako untangled from me in the end, and a short while later finds all four of us seated in the living room while Sanae prepares tea for us. God (Or should it be goddess-es?), I can see Suwako practically sparkling as she stares at me. Groaning, I drop my head onto the table, rubbing the aching in my abdomen.

"Hey, hey, Kanako already says she's fine with it, so decide already!" Suwako tries again.

"I'm against it!" Sanae protests as she returns with the tea. "He's a male, you know! It's not right for him to stay under the same roof!"

_That's a pretty good point, considering what happened with every single female I've stayed with so far. _I think, keeping my face as innocent as I could even though I'm facedown on the table.

"That's okay! You have my full support!" I can imagine Suwako winking with her tongue sticking from one corner of her mouth.

"Suwako-sama!" Sanae scolds plaintively.

"Nyahahaha..."

"Isn't it alright? He'll just stay in one of the extra rooms." Kanako adds her two-cents worth calmly. "That way we'll only have to worry about your virtue if you decide to go in there."

Suwako only laughed harder while Sanae was mortified. "Really, not you too, Kanako-sama!" She complains.

I raise my head to give her a sympathetic look. "Tease you a lot, don't they?"

The expression she gives me back is one of sheepish suffering, and after a moment, we break out into smiles at each other.

"See, see! They do get along after all!" Suwako points out.

We notice the two goddesses watching us, and Kanako is also smiling amusedly. Quickly, we both look away from each other. Before they can do anything to tease us further, I change the subject by asking Suwako about her day.

"I went to visit the kappas for a bit. They invent some pretty interesting stuff, ya know!"

"Like what?" I manage to express enough interest that Suwako responds to the question.

_Good thing that worked. _I catch Sanae giving me a grateful look as she assists me in keeping the topic going. _Come to think of it, I was considering staying with Nitori before, wasn't I? Maybe I should pay her a visit..._

As the daylight starts to turn an orange color, it's Kanako who asks the question.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Ikuto? You should try some of Sanae's cooking."

I have to admit that I _was_ a bit curious to know how it tasted. "Sure, thank you for the invitation."

With that, Sanae leaves to prepare the meal, while I continue chatting with the two goddesses. If I didn't know about Kanako's actions before this, I would have thought that she was a friendly type of goddess from the impression she was making on me. She has the sort of mature landlady feel to her, pleasantly friendly and welcoming. I'm even starting to disbelieve my supposed 'canon' knowledge about her the more I chat with her.

Suwako intersperses our conversation with some stuff of her own, so we end up covering a large range of subjects, from what they do as goddesses to what I do to train, and so on. By the time Sanae returns bearing trays stacked with the evening meal, we're comfortable enough with each other that I can just about imagine us being drinking buddies.

I accept the tray from Sanae. "Thanks. It looks delicious."

"It is." Suwako assures me. "Sanae's a great cook. She'll definitely make a good wife for somebody in future."

"Geez, Suwako-sama!" Sanae complains. "Please stop making fun of me!"

It's simple mountain fare; the vegetables are quite juicy while the meat- pheasant?, is delicious as well. The miso soup is good, but I've had better before. Still, I can't really speak for myself as what I can produce is below the quality she delivered. But there was something else...

"Ikuto? Why are you crying?" I looked up, noticing all three of them watching me.

"Huh?" I reach up and wipe my eyes. _She's right... why are there tears?_ "I-it's just too delicious, that's all!"

"Hear that, Sanae? Your food is good enough to make him cry!" Suwako tells the green-haired girl cheerfully.

"This is embarrassing..." There's a blush on her face.

_...I see. Up till now, everyone I stayed with always cooked for their employer, no matter how close they were to each other... except Alice, who cooks for herself, _I add as an afterthought. _But this is the first time I'm tasting food that someone cooked for their _family.

"It's really delicious, Kochiya-san." I assure her after wiping my eyes.

"Th-thank you..." She stammers. "A-actually, you can just call me by my name."

"Ah, okay, I'll do that, Sanae."

Putting the short interruption behind us, we continue eating quietly. Iku would enjoy the atmosphere here, that's for sure.

_Speaking of which... I haven't seen her and Komachi for so long... And I don't recall seeing my future self there back before I time-traveled... So I don't think I'll be able to see them anytime soon. I hope that when my past self goes away, the ability to soul travel will come back to me. If not..._

I pause as I realize that I'm actually considering asking Yukari to drop me off at Hakugyokurou just so I can do it with Yuyuko again.

_Goes to show how much I miss them... _I sigh. _Monster hunting was more stressful than I thought._

"What's with that big sigh, Ikuto?" Suwako asks curiously.

"Nah, it's nothing. I ran into a bunch of hostile youkai in the forest earlier today, and it was a bit rough on me." I give as an excuse.

The smaller of the two goddesses gives me a deadpan look, clearly aware that I'm lying. "Oh really."

"Yeah really." I finish the rest of the soup before setting the bowl down. "Thanks for the meal."

"Sanae, could you bring us some chilled sake?" Kanako requests.

The priestess nods, "Yes, Kanako-sama." Getting to her feet, she goes around collecting the trays.

I offer to help with the washing up, but she firmly refuses, citing the fact that I'm a guest. After she's gone back into the kitchen, I ask Kanako if they usually drink alcohol after meals. Turns out that it doesn't happen often, only when they feel in the mood for it, or when there are guests over like in my current example. And given that it's a well-known fact that I'm involved with Suika, it's natural that I get painted with the same brush, which means people think I enjoy drinking as well.

Well yeah, I do, but not to the extent that they think. I can live with drinking a bit once in a while.

The sound of the fridge opening and closing reaches me, and Sanae soon returns with a bottle and three small cups.

"Not drinking?" I ask her as she lays the cups out and opens the bottle.

Before she can reply, Suwako speaks first. "Sanae doesn't really like alcohol that much."

"So she only drinks rarely." Kanako adds.

"Besides, I still have to clean the bath." Sanae finishes.

_They're really in sync, aren't they? _"Hardworking, aren't you? I'm sure these two are really glad to have you."

"Of course." The bigger of the two I'm referring to responds. "Speaking of the bath-"

Suwako interrupts her in midsentence. "Ah! That's right! Ikuto, how about spending the night here?"

_There we go. _"True, it's quite late already, and I don't think it's a good idea to descend the mountain when it's dark, so I'll accept your offer to stay."

"YAY!" Suwako throws her hands up in celebration.

With that matter decided, we pass the time chatting while drinking, watching the moon rise through the open window. After a while, Sanae comes in to let us know that the bath is ready; she doesn't seem to be surprised when she hears that I'm spending the night. In fact, she makes a comment about the danger of spending the night outside on Youkai Mountain.

The bath is rather spacious, though not on the extent of Hakurei Shrine's hot spring. It's enough for me to stretch my limbs out entirely and still have space left over, which means that all three of the females here can use it together comfortably.

"Ikuto, I'll leave a change of clothes here." I turn to look at the door, where I can see barely Sanae's silhouette through.

"You have clothes in my size?" I call, raising my voice enough so she can hear me.

"Yes. It's just something left over from when a priest was still running this shrine."

"I see. Well, thanks. I'll be out soon."

I raise my hand up in front of me, looking at the ring and bracelet on it. I was starting to feel like I belonged again, the way I did just before Yukari deported me to the Monster Hunter crossover world, but things still felt a bit awkward. Even my bond to the Keyblades felt the same way, and it seemed to have worsened ever since I started spending time over there. Granted, that might be due to me focusing on using the actual blades and weapons that were provided, but...

_As things go, I got two, maybe three places to stay at the moment. Here, with Miko, or my initial choice, at Myouren Temple. _I lower my hand back into the water with a splash. _And out of those three, I haven't been to Myouren Temple to check it out yet._

That was my initial plan at the start, except I got sidetracked after meeting Futo. Couldn't be helped... some things are just beyond plans.

_Well, I'll just go down in the morning. _I decide, getting out of the bath.

The clothes are plain as expected, but they feel pretty nice to wear. Stepping out of the changing room brings me face to face with Sanae, who squeaks and stumble back. Without thinking, my body moves to catch her, executing a quick forward circling step that Meiling taught me. It ends with me supporting her body at an angle from the side, nearly face to face.

"Sorry about that. You okay?"

"A-ah, yes. Thank you." Sanae's cheeks take on a pink shade, staring at my eyes.

A whistle catches our attention. "Nice, you work fast, Ikuto." Suwako flashes me a thumbs up from around the corner.

I quickly put Sanae back on her feet, and she quickly distances herself from me to go over to the other girl. "Su-Suwako-sama~!"

"Okay, that's enough." Kanako comes out from the same corner Suwako appeared from, dragging the other goddess by the back of her collar. "Ikuto, you're done with the bath, right? Then we'll be taking ours."

"Ahh~ Don't pull, don't pull!" The frog goddess waves her arms furiously, but uselessly as she gets carried into the changing room.

"Come along, Sanae."

"Y-yes!" Sanae bows to me and follows quickly after.

_That was kind of cute, actually. _I think as I walk away, running my left hand through my damp hair. Then I stop. _Wait, where is the room I'm supposed to stay in anyway?_

"I believe it's this one." Someone calls out to me.

"Oh, thank... you." I turn to see Yukari's head sticking out of a gap next to a door. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you." Yukari glances at the door, then back at me. "Are you choosing this place? If so, I got your luggage ready to deliver."

"Not yet." I answer, approaching to open the door. "I'm just spending the night temporarily. Tomorrow I'm checking out another place, then I'll decide."

"Ah, is that so. Well then, have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, her head vanishes back through the gap.

_Can never tell what that one thinks... _I find myself yawning as I enter the room. "Guess I'll sleep early tonight." I say to myself.

* * *

><p>"Thank you very much for having me over." I bow to the three ladies standing in front of the shrine.<p>

"You're welcome." Kanako waves, one hand supporting the elbow on the other arm. "Come by again anytime."

"Hurry up and decide now, okay?"

"Goodbye, Ikuto. Please come again." Sanae says, then her eyes close and she stumbles to the side slightly, into Kanako, who holds her up.

As I had observed last night, things don't always go as planned for me. My decision to turn in early was interrupted by Sanae wanting to know more about the mecha anime that had come out ever since she moved to Gensokyo with the two goddesses of her shrine. Well, I have to admit that there's something remarkably cool about mecha in general, so I ended up talking to her for a long time about all sorts of stuff related to mecha. Which led to her being a little short on sleep. Thankfully she managed to cook breakfast for all of us without any problem.

I'm feeling a little tired myself, as I fight the urge to yawn. _I need a nap sometime soon..._

"Which direction is the village in anyway?" I direct the question to Kanako.

"Southwest, which is over... there." She points over my left shoulder. "How are you getting down the mountain? You're not climbing down, are you?"

"I'm going to glide with one of the powers I was given. Shouldn't be too long if I go that way."

"Need a boost?"

I eye her carefully. _She's smart enough to realize that? Knew I can't underestimate her. _"That would be a great help, actually."

Smiling, she raises the hand she's not supporting Sanae with, and gestures at me, creating one of her pillars right under my feet. The sudden acceleration nearly takes me by surprise, but I manage to keep my wits enough to add my own jump to it.

"THANKS AND SEE YA!" I call out as I shoot high up above the shrine.

My eyes shut reflexively as the air whips past, but I reopen them when I feel the pressure die off. And when I do, I see something totally incredible.

Gensokyo.

Seen from high up on an early morning.

The whole place is a mixture of vibrant colors made even more impressive by the sunlight covering it, with green the most prominent. Near the base of the mountain is a large patch of yellow which signifies Yuuka's sunflower field. A lighter green area represents the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, while the brown and black blocky area surrounded by blue-green geometric shapes is where the village is. Nearby it, there is a huge blue ring around a misty grey circle; the Misty Lake where the Scarlet Devil Mansion is. An Eastern Wonderland, seen in its entirety.

_If I wasn't envious of the girls for being able to fly before, I am now. _I start to feel myself falling, and trigger my ability. "Haaa... makes me wish I had a camera."

Looking down, I see that the Moriya Shrine now looks like a small square the size of a letter key on a keyboard. Kanako's _onbashira_ sure pack a hell lot of force. Looking up this time, I try to spot the Celestial Realm, but only see what appears to be a dark cloud obscuring the true peak of Youkai Mountain; maybe that was where Iku spent her time. Too bad it's higher than I currently was, and besides, it's in the opposite direction from my destination.

"Time to go." I orientate myself towards the village, and locate Myouren Temple from there. "Target lock on. Launching!"

Wind bursts from my hands and legs, and I shoot towards the small building in my sights. Unlike the time down in the underground cavern beneath the temple I'm currently heading to, I'm using more than twice the power I did before, which gives me enough speed to cover the distance in less than ten minutes. Naturally, given my low magic capacity, I wouldn't be able to keep it up for more than four, but I don't need to maintain a continuous output since the initial momentum will just carry me the rest of the way.

Of course, the only thing that will prevent that from happening is if there is a wind blowing in the opposite direction, which thankfully isn't. The greenery beneath me gradually falls away as I go further away from the mountain, and I start easing up on the slow fall, causing me to descend faster.

That's when I learned something about why it's rare to see flight-capable youkais flying around. When you're out in the open air, everyone can see you. And when 'everyone' consists mainly of brainless fairies who think it's fun to take potshots at anything and everything they find interesting, you get the beginnings of a shooter game.

_That said... this is kind of fun. _I think to myself, releasing a small stream of wind from my right hand to send me into a barrel roll, narrowly avoiding a spray of bullets. _Can't really shoot back, but- Oh wait, I can._

With a flick of my wrist, my hand now holds several ice needles, and I flick them out to strike the careless shooters in the head, dispelling them. The others are taken aback by the sudden counterattack, and I follow up with several more needles, removing them as well. But the further I travel over the treetops, the more fairies come out, like bees whose hive had been disturbed.

"Ah, fuck this." I cut the power and drop straight down.

Curling up and channeling Ki to protect my body, I crash through several branches and hit the forest floor in a roll, coming up with my Keyblade in hand. Kicking off in a sprint, I start slicing my way through the hailstorm of magic bullets, heading in the direction I recall Myouren Temple to be in.

Somehow, I can feel a smile spreading across my face, despite the bullet hell I'm currently facing.

"I'm back." The words come from my mouth before I realize it. "I'M BACK, GENSOKYO!" I yell out, and laugh.

* * *

><p>(1) Acting like the Looney Toons Roadrunner.<p>

(2) It's Hachikuji Mayoi, a young girl character from Bakemonogatari. She tends to mess up the main character's name while saying it, followed by the excuse Ikuto gives.

(3) Hermit World.

Finally, I managed to write this chapter out. It was tough getting back into the flow of writing, especially with the responsibilities of my new job, but I did my best, and here I am. Still not back to how I was before though.

Originally, I wanted to write a scene where he actually meets with Myouren Temple followed by a cliffhanger where I'd ask my readers to guess which place he's going to stay at next, but my muse just wouldn't work for some reason, so I decided to just end things here for now.

It wasn't easy to write the characters of Ten Desires, and when the ones from Double Dealing Character appears, it's going to be even more difficult. Having no skill at the canon shooter games, I need to form my own image of the characters in order to craft the actual story. Tough, I tell you.

Oh well, that's it for now. For those of you who are following me because of my other story, I can say that I'm going to start working on it now.

So leave your reviews!


	57. Chapter 56: Eventful Reintegration

My eyes open just as the sound of bamboo striking stone comes through the screen door. Sitting up, I stretch my arms out and yawn widely, before getting out of the futon and heading over to the doors. I take a moment to fix my clothes before sliding the door open, revealing the garden outside my room, still dark as the dawn has yet to show over the walls of the place I am now staying in.

I make my way over to the washing area, where I take the chance to wash my face before heading back to my room to change. From there, I head for the meditation hall.

This early, there's no one else there. No one else, other than the person in charge of this place, and she's already laying out the mats for those who will come.

The woman turns around at the sound of my opening the door. "Ah, Ikuto-kun." She greets me with a smile, "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Hijiri-san." I greet her back.

_Only two days, and I've gotten used to this already. _I smile inwardly as I help her with the rest of it.

After I made my way down from Youkai Mountain, I decided to try my luck at Myouren Temple, and Byakuren accepted my request to stay right away. In exchange, I would help out with the chores and other stuff.

As the chief priest, she naturally offered to teach me about dharma, but I gently refused. Still, I accompany her in some of her practices, such as the morning meditation, which I am currently using to hone my mind and spirit. Based on what I know, this helps with my magic as well.

"Though you do not practice the dharma," Byakuren's voice makes me blink and look at her, "Your meditation shows an impressive level of development. May I know how you accomplished that?"

_It came from a manga, actually. But looking at her... _I see Byakuren's kind expression waiting patiently for my reply. "Well... I believe it's about... what was the word... appreciation! That's the word." (1)

"Appreciation?" Byakuren looks at me curiously. "That is an interesting school of thought."

There's the sound of a gong, followed by several footsteps approaching our location. The morning meditation will soon be starting, so we agree to continue the discussion later. Youkai start to filter into the place, each greeting Byakuren, and some greeting me, as they take their seats on the mats. The senior members such as Ichirin and Shou take the ones near the front, next to Byakuren, while I take one for myself near the back and settle down in a seated position.

Relaxing my body, I empty my mind first, letting it drift around randomly for a few moments, before focusing on the emotion that best represents appreciation.

Gratitude. I lose myself in it, until the sound of the gong rouses me.

"Thank you all for attending this morning's meditation." Byakuren speaks from the front of the hall. "Let us adjourn to the dining hall for breakfast."

The youkais bow in acknowledgement, and I follow suit. Breakfast is a simple meal of rice and greens, one that I don't find very savory, but manage to gulp down all the same.

_I definitely need to ask Yukari for some vegetarian cookbooks. _I decide, heading back to my room to change.

I begin my morning training, going through several motions that Meiling had beaten into my body. I can feel people watching me, but some turn away after a while. One, however, I can feel her staring intently, from up on the roof. I turn with the motion, and confirm my suspicions; it's Nue, and she doesn't look friendly. Naturally, since my first interaction with that youkai was putting her in a submission hold when she attacked a kid at a festival, and then she retaliated by putting one of her snakes on me to disguise my appearance.

_Well, as long as she doesn't give me any trouble, I won't give her any. _

"The male training over there." A high-pitched voice calls out to me.

I turn around again, this time to see Ichirin standing nearby, with her partner Unzan floating around her, both of them looking at me. I did know them from before, but when I returned recently, I very nearly forgot her name. Just in case, I make sure to burn her appearance into my mind.

Ichirin wears a blue headdress from which her long blue hair falls out of, on top of a blue dress covered by a black and gold Buddhist robe. There's a red orb hanging from her neck, and a large golden ring held in her right hand. Unzan on the other hand, is a smoky grey cloud with the face of an old man with thick eyebrows and beard.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" I ask, finishing another set of movements.

"Nothing. I just want to know how you're finding your life here."

"Thanks for your concern, but..." My hand snaps up and catches a thrown roof tile, "I think I'll be fine."

"Who-? Nue!" Ichirin catches sight of the culprit. "Don't damage the roof!"

"BLEH!" Nue responds by sticking her tongue out and disappearing over the other side before Ichirin can pursue.

Sighing, the girl turns back to me. "I'm sorry about that girl."

I smirk. "No worries. We have an understanding, actually."

In the short time I've been here, Ichirin has shown herself to be a serious and smart person, yet easy to get along with. She answers most of my questions willingly, and just last night, I played a game of Go against her when she asked me to. It was during that time that she told me more about herself and Unzan's history.

Years and years ago, when she was just a young human girl, Ichirin met Unzan, a nyuudou which would have killed her the moment he raised his lowered head, but she managed to outwit him, and the shock of his defeat led to Unzan protecting her. However, the presence of a youkai hanging around her made humans fear her, and before she knew it, she turned into a youkai herself.

Later, she told me she was pleased that I hadn't shown any pity for her losing her humanity. Ichirin didn't say any more on the matter, so I have no idea what lies behind her reasoning on that issue. Maybe when I get to know her more.

"Well, don't let me interrupt your training any further." Ichirin nods to me and leaves, Unzan imitating her actions.

I still have another hour of training to go, so I continue on. Practicing with my Ki is important to progress further, and I have far to go before I can consider myself proficient with it. Adept at most, I would say.

"Energetic, aren't you?"

I automatically react, spinning and unleashing a palm strike that releases a burst of Ki at the speaker. Naturally, given the difference in our strengths, she simply spins around and disperses the wave with a sweep of her large tail.

"Oops, sorry about that."

"Heh, that was a pretty good attack there." Mamizou compliments me, grinning.

If Ichirin's the serious type, then Mamizou would be easygoing one. It's possible to talk to her about anything, because she would willingly offer a listening ear to whoever needs one. In other words, she's like the counselor of the place.

Mamizou's a brunette, and with her tanuki heritage, she has animal ears on top of her head in addition to the huge striped bushy tail sticking up from behind her. Out of everyone I've met so far, she's the only other person apart from Rinnosuke who wears glasses. Adorning her head is a green leaf with a small hole in it, somehow staying stuck on despite her movements. I'm guessing it's how she uses her power, or maybe just a decoy.

Her outfit is a dull brown dress, and the way it flares up near the bottom tells me that she's wearing some bulky underpants underneath there.

I avert my eyes. _Damn, I'm more perverted than I thought. _

Out loud, I ask her, "Did you want anything with me?"

"Meh, well, I was wondering if you would like to spar a little." Mamizou proposes, grinning.

"Spar?" I chew my lip. "Well, I don't mind..."

Mamizou tilts her head with a smile, putting a hand on her hip while the other goes to touch the leaf on her head. "Glad to hear that. Well, shall we go to the field outside?"

She lifts off the ground and flies towards the east, and I follow, channeling Ki through my legs to help me jump after her. Mamizou notices, and slows down her speed so I can keep up.

"You still haven't learned how to fly yet?" She inquires.

"Actually, I don't have enough magical power to do so," I confess, "The most I can do is decrease the speed of my descent." I activate the power I got from Cirno to illustrate, and float alongside the tanuki. _And this isn't even my own ability._

"Guess I'll have to give you a handicap later, won't I?" Mamizou remarks, smiling.

"Please don't."

She gives me a quizzical look. "Why? I think you'd need it."

"I'm not sure if I should feel offended that you think so lowly of my skills." I reply dryly. "I did spend some time training before coming here, just so you know."

"Hoh? And what sort of training is that?" Mamizou asks me curiously.

I open my mouth, then stop without saying a word. _Actually, I don't think the skills involved in fighting Monster Hunter beasts will help much in a spellcard battle._

"So? What sort of training?" The tanuki presses.

"Danger awareness, I guess." I finally admit.

"Hmmm..." Mamizou hums thoughtfully. "That might help against me, I suppose."

My feet finally touch the ground, allowing me to jump again, this time crossing over the wall that surrounds the Temple. I feel a brief spike of envy when I see Mamizou easily keeping pace, looking nonchalant about it. We eventually reach our destination, and take up positions on opposite sides of it.

I do some last stretching while Mamizou waits, and ready my key.

"Ready?" The amusement in her tone is obvious.

I manifest Future Gazer in my hand. "Bring it!"

She begins with a spray of energy balls that I don't waste energy on deflecting, but simply slip between to avoid. It's obvious she's feeling me out, and once she noticed that I'm not going to get hit so easily, she declares her first spellcard.

"**First Duel - 'Primate Danmaku Transformation'!**"

She releases several blue motes that transform into dolls of light a certain distance away from her body, and they start circling her.

_No, they're not just circling, they're moving outwards from her as well. _I realize, slowly walking to the side to avoid the small bullets the dolls shoot at me. _It's the typical initial lock-on shot, just move slowly and let it wear out._

I snort. "Yeah, right."

Channeling a bit of the ring's energy into my hand, I form a small chunk of ice in my palm. Tossing it up into the air, I smack it right at Mamizou with my Keyblade. Naturally, she dodges it easily by simply leaning out of the way, and retaliates by releasing even more bullet-firing dolls.

"You're holding back, aren't you?" Mamizou inquires, shooting off yet another wave of dolls.

"Can't be helped," I shrug as I sidestep another wave of danmaku, "I can't shoot off danmaku like you do, and I'm trying to stay in line with spellcard rules."

"Ah, I see."

I go through her next three spellcards, facing first green dogs that try to flank me, followed by red birds charging from the front, then glowing frogs that explode into bullets. I'm finally forced to use my Keyblade to block some of those released from the frog bombs, and Mamizou smirks victoriously.

"What?" I ask her as my mind wanders slightly. _I wonder what Suwako would say if she saw that spellcard just now._

"Finally made you do something other than dodge or try to hit me with those wimpy attacks."

"I'm not really good with preset attacks like that," I admit, "I'm more of a-"

In that one moment, the Keyblade in my hand transforms, and I close the distance between us in a flash. This close, I can see her eyes start to widen behind her lenses, but her reaction is too slow to stop me from landing several shadow blows to her neck, sides, and knees, all pulled so that they stop before making contact.

My retreat is barely in time to avoid the sudden barrage of danmaku from her body, and I leap back to my initial position, sidestepping them so fast I'm almost leaving an afterimage.

"-react on my feet type of person." I finish, brandishing Phantom Blossom in front of me.

The first Keyblade form I gained after Future Gazer, this weapon signifies the bond between me and Youmu, formed during my stay in Hakugyokurou. It's literally a flowery weapon, but it is also a blade that embodies the speed of the girl it represents to me.

Mamizou stares at me for several long moments, still shocked by the sudden attack I had launched. She even forgot to continue with the battle. Eventually, she comes to her senses and gives me an approving look.

"I heard about that weapon of yours, but seeing it in action is another thing altogether." The tanuki remarks. "Say, why don't we put aside the spellcard rules for a bit, so you can show me what you've _really_ got?"

The idea itself was tempting, but I put my hand up. "I decline for the time being. Right now, I want to see just how I perform under the rules."

Mamizou doesn't even falter; she nods and continues with her next spellcard, **Scrolls of Frolicking Animals**, which throws types from the previous three combined at me. It reminds me a little of the time spent training against Sakuya's knives, and I start dodging instinctively.

_No way Phantom Blossom is going to work a second time for a sneak attack, now that she's aware of it. _I think as I meet her gaze from where I'm weaving in between danmaku bullets. _But then again, right now I'm just seeing how long I can keep this up._

Beasts from the sides, birds from the front, and amphibians around her scattering bullets in all directions. It's tough, but I somehow manage to scrape through escaping with quite a number of grazes. The gaps between them were that hard to squeeze through; if I hadn't learned how to see the danger spots from fighting against so many dragons, I would have had a harder time.

"Good, very good! Then how about this?" Mamizou floats slightly to the right, and unleashes another spellcard. "**Sixth Duel - 'Tanuki's Monstrous School'!**"

There's a brief swirl of wind that makes me squint momentarily, and when I can see clearly again, there are already more of the light dolls materializing into existence in a row behind her, slowly advancing forward.

_Stop and go maneuvers again. _I decide, guessing that like the first time I had seen those, the dolls would fire bullets at my position at set intervals. _Except..._

I was right, yet there an unexpected twist presents itself; the rows that appear behind Mamizou did so at varying heights, which makes the whole thing even harder to predict. Furthermore, once the rows passed me, I would have to focus on avoiding bullets from every direction apart from up and down, so I resort to using another of my Keyblades.

"Silver Flame." I intone, switching forms at the same time I reverse my grip on the handle. "And... _cut_."

I slash furiously around me, slicing through the energy shots aimed at my body and slowing them down enough to create an opening for me to slip through. Sakuya's Keyblade fills up quickly with all the extra time I'm stealing, and it waits for me to activate it and release all the stored up power. Just before I'm about to be enclosed again, I thumb the trigger.

Everything slows down to a near stop, and I start walking forward, feeling a resistance beneath my shoes as I step on grass that can't bend fast enough to keep up with the speed I'm moving at in reality. As I move towards Mamizou, I sway from side to side, making it harder for her eyes to track me.

_And the result of all this work is... _I think as I come to a stop right in front of the youkai. "Boop." I poke her in nose just as the power wears off.

Then I'm gone just as the dolls fire simultaneously again, retreating to a safe distance.

"You can go even faster?" Mamizou questions, rubbing the spot I poked. "Even more interesting."

Unfortunately, my luck runs out after that. The swarm of danmaku that sweeps across the field in her next spellcard comes hard and fast, and I end up taking several hits when I try to dodge it without using my other Keyblades.

"Still want to continue?" I hear my opponent ask.

My reply comes out as a pained grunt. "Yeah..."

I didn't expect her to suddenly transform into a near-perfect copy of Reimu, with only that bushy tail remaining to indicate her true identity. I couldn't help it; with the stress of facing danmaku and having been hit a few times, I started humming the Mario theme. (2) I noticed Reimu-Mamizou looking at me oddly as she flew around the field releasing more danmaku behind her and planting frog-bombs around the place.

The next spellcard is even harder, and I take even more hits than I did before due to being surrounded on all sides by her danmaku. If this was the actual game, I would have had to use a continue. Her final spellcard is actually easier for me to dodge with the smaller amount of shots I had to deal with.

_Guess my weakness lies in being overwhelmed with superior firepower. _I think to myself as I lie flat on the grass, beaten up pretty badly. _On the other hand, I can survive if I use my Keyblades to help me avoid attacks better._

I sense Mamizou approaching and settling down near me. "That was a splendid performance you put on."

"Ahh, glad to hear it." I mumble.

"Are you okay?" She asks me.

"Just need a bit of rest..."

Hunting monsters gave me lots of experience in taking hits from something several times my size, so the bruises I'm feeling don't hurt as much as they could have. That said, they still hurt, so I swap my Keyblade for Burst Needle, and jab myself with one of Eirin's recovery elixirs. The pain quickly fades, and I hear Mamizou whistle appreciatively at what she sees.

"That's a very useful weapon you've got there." She remarks. "Care to tell me more about it?"

My reply comes instantly. "It's not just a weapon. It's a representation of the important bonds I formed in Gensokyo."

She hums interestedly. "And those bonds... they aren't just for you to gain more power?"

"Of course not!" I reply instantly, heat coloring my tone. "Speaking honestly, I love this place, and I love those girls!"

Given the teasing expression that comes over Mamizou's face, I have just given her material to hold over me. "He~h, so you lo~ve them, huh~?"

"Shut up." I grumble.

She continues to smirk at me, so I try to poke her with my Keyblade, only for her to dodge out of range. Somehow, it feels like I'm slowly starting to fit back inside Gensokyo again.

* * *

><p>I nearly make the mistake of going to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, if not for suddenly recalling that my past self was still there training. Yukari said that she had to construct a Paradox Machine in order for me to come back to Gensokyo without destabilizing the barrier, but I don't know how much of that is true.<p>

What I do know is that I had no idea of my future self's existence back when I was training in the mansion, and I don't want to test what might happen if I do something to alter that. The problem is that to me, that period of time is quite a while ago, so I don't really recall the times I went outside of the mansion. Therefore, the best thing to do is to avoid the place entirely.

_But now what do I do? _I ponder as I sit among the high branches of a tree. _I'd visit Reimu or Marisa, but those two go by the mansion quite often, then they might mention something which would throw everything off._

Without looking around, I swing my arm out and slap away a danmaku bullet fired by a fairy. I hear it giggle, the sound fading as it flies away, clearly not very fascinated with me.

_But that's an idea. I should visit someone, but who exactly?_

I take a look around, and coincidentally lock gazes with someone who's just flying by. It's a woman in a light blue dress with sea blue hair, pinned up in two loops behind her head with a long hairpin. Unlike the usual manner in which the people in Gensokyo fly, she looks like she's riding on a long, translucent white cloth.

Kaku Seiga.

_Oh. FUCK. _I instantly bolt away, vanishing down among the leaves. _Of all the people to meet, it has to be one I DON'T want to meet._

From what I know of her, she's a hermit, similar to Ibara Kasen, but that's as far it goes. She's not a nice person, according to what I've heard from the people of Myouren Temple. Sure, there's some bias behind it, but when Mamizou herself warns me against getting involved, I think there's definitely some truth to the issue.

"Wait up~"

I glance over my shoulder to see Seiga following me from above the treetops, easily keeping up with me. But that's to be expected; right now I'm only running at my normal speed, when I have several levels higher than that.

_Ki, activate!_ Instantly the distance between my steps increases greatly, and the surrounding blurs past me.

And as usual, all the stupid fairies start coming out in response to someone rushing through their forest. My response is quick and direct; I dodge around their attacks and strike at them with my hands and legs. It knocks them away, but doesn't take them out of the fight, so they come after me again.

_But that's all part of the plan. Even if I take them out, I'll be slowed down enough for Seiga to catch up. _Sure enough, she's closed the lead I had gained earlier. _On the other hand, the more bullets there are... the harder it'll be to spot me!_

I suddenly stop, and turn a full circle to see annoyed and amused fairies all aiming towards me, as well as an interested-looking Seiga watching from above.

_NOW! _ _Eternal Inheritance! _Using my body to hide my hands from her sight, I dig the point of my Keyblade into the ground. _**Revised Technique: Sakamaku Tsuchi! (Rolling Earth) **_(3)

Slashing upwards, I pull part of the ground beneath me up in front of my body as a shield and a cover to hide from Seiga's vision. My other hand is already channeling magical power, charging the runes that cover it, and I release it in a random direction just as the bullets make contact, purposely firing it off half-assed so as to create a huge explosion of dust around myself. Within that smokescreen, I crouch down to stay hidden.

To top it off, I activate Wavebreaker's camouflage ability, which blends me into the surrounding even more. _And it looks like the dust doesn't give away my position, _I think as I check over my body carefully.

I can hear the bullets thudding against the barrier I made, and the rest of the fairies continue to fire their danmaku even though they can't see me, being the trigger-happy airheads they are. With the small hollow I've opened up thanks to my earlier technique, I just have to crouch low to avoid all the shots coming my way.

Eventually their firing tapers off as the fairies lose interest, and some of them start moving in the direction I fired my air blast, assuming that was where I went. Narrowing my eyes through the smoke, I also see some of them going up, apparently targeting Seiga, but they get shot out of the air soon enough.

_Apparent immortality really does reduce your sense of self-preservation. _I muse to myself. _Now will she take the bait?_

It takes several minutes, but eventually I glimpse her flying off in the direction in which I had pretended to go. The moment she's out of sight, I stand up and slip around to run in the opposite direction, still maintaining my camouflage. It doesn't conceal so well when I'm moving, but it's good enough for my purposes. In fact, I don't drop it until I'm nearly out of the forest, when the trees start to get sparse.

_So where am I now? One of these days, I really should ask someone like Akyuu or Aya for a map. _I exhale slowly. _Then again, I'm no closer to finding something to do... _My eyes go to the key in my hand. _Oh wait, I do. But I need to find a place for it._

Traveling out of the forest puts me somewhere near a place that I've been avoiding all this while: The Garden of the Sun. I mean, anybody in his right mind would stay away if they knew what Yuuka Kazami was like. That's not to mention the number of fairies that live in there among the flowers. Akyuu's records warn against entering that place as well. Even from where I am, I can clearly see the flowers moving around, turning this way and that as the playful fairies manipulate them to make them face whichever way they want.

I know Yuuka moves around Gensokyo depending on the season due to the different flowering periods, and it's summer right now, so the chances of her being in there right now is high.

_Should I, or shouldn't I? _I think for a moment, then facepalm. _If I'm even thinking of going in there, something must be really wrong with me!_

I blame all the Monster Hunting I did; having to go right into the dragon's nest in order to grab its eggs or chase it down to beat it into submission has left me with the mindset of confronting things far stronger than I am head on. Not a healthy mindset to have, especially in Gensokyo, where I don't have Felynes to rescue me when I get beaten.

_Okay, now that I decided that it's a bad idea, I better get out of here before- _I turn around to see a green-haired woman in a red plaid skirt and waistcoat looking at me with amusement. _She sees me... _My mind completes the thought dully.

"Oh my, what a coincidence." Yuuka remarks, spinning her open parasol behind her. "I didn't expect to meet you in a place like this."

"Well, I must say I wasn't expecting to meet you either." I reply with forced humor.

"Ohohoho..."

"Ahahaha..."

We laugh lightly at this 'coincidence' that has led us to meet.

"Okay, I remember something I have to do, so if you'll excuse me-" I make to step by her.

"Wait." An arm bars my way. Right in my throat, to be specific.

"Gakk!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Yuuka's eyes are closed on top of the small smile she's wearing. _Totally... out of my league?_

"Now, now," Her arm wraps around my neck and pulls me into her side, forcing me to adapt to stay on my feet. "Since you're here, why not join me for some tea?"

_I'm starting to have déjà vu here. _I think as she starts dragging me in the direction of the sunflower field. _It happened quite a long time ago, but I recall her dragging me along like this before._

The sense of nostalgia increases even more when I see the cottage among the field of sunflowers. The last time I saw this, there were only a few because it was winter, but now that it's in summer, the whole place is so bright and yellow I'm already squinting.

She finally releases me after we're inside, and sets about making tea while I massage my neck to try and get the blood flowing properly again.

_I think I remember now... that time when I was planning the snowball tournament. Then the time after I came out from the underground, and I... _I wince at the phantom pain the memory brings up. _I tried to fight Yuuka and got a Master Spark for it._

"Here, please help yourself." Yuuka serves me some green tea.

"Thank you," I reply, accepting the cup.

We spend some time simply enjoying tea together, although I never let down my guard against her. The memories evoked from being here has reminded me more of the time before I was sent out of Gensokyo, and with those memories come a whole lot of emotions. One of the strongest ones was the urge to become strong, which was why I moved into the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

_But what now? _I wonder as I continue to sip tea. _Frankly speaking, I'm definitely stronger than I was before, but the question is what do I do with that strength? I'm certainly not going to go challenge everyone the way Tenshi did._

And therein lay the contradiction; I first wanted to become stronger because I didn't like to lose, and now that I was... I found that I didn't care so much. It was like a spur of the moment decision now that I look back on it.

"This is good tea." I remark, lowering my cup.

"Thank you."

She doesn't add anything further, and we continue to pass the time in silence. Occasionally I would get a refill of tea, but apart from that, it appears that she's trying to test to see how long I last before breaking the silence again. The old me would have said something, but the current me who has been practicing meditation at Myouren Temple is more used to staying quiet.

Yuuka finally speaks up. "You're not the same Ikuto I know."

"I'm not." I confirm with a nod.

"I see. Then who exactly are you?"

"I'm Ikuto, except from a few months in the future." I answer honestly.

"Hmmm~" Yuuka hums interestedly. "That would explain it, I suppose. I don't suppose you would care to tell me how that came about?"

"It was a small incident involving Rumia, actually." I give her a brief rundown on the events leading up to my travelling back in time.

"Such an odd tale." The flower youkai comments. "But I can see how it has led you to change."

_Something about the way she says that bugs me... _I eye her suspiciously, noting the way she looks back at me as though trying to decide what to do. "How do you think I've changed?" I ask cautiously.

"We~ll..." She gets up from her seat and approaches me, and before I can scramble backwards, she's already kneeling close in front of me with one hand cupping my face.

"Umm... You're a bit... too close..." I mumble, already starting to shake slightly from looking at her red eyes up close.

"Hoho~h?" Yuuka moves her hand downwards, stroking gently along my neck, then over the front of my shirt.

_What is this? What the hell's going on here? This is a joke, right? There's no way I raised a flag with Yuuka!_ My eyes are darting all over the place, and I can feel her breath on my face.

Then just as suddenly as it had began, Yuuka drew back from me, smiling widely. "Yep, guess you haven't changed that much after all."

"Wh-what? What was that for?" I demand, my breathing faster than normal.

"Just checking that you were still interesting to tease, that's all." The smile on her face suddenly reveals its true form: the joy of a sadist.

_Goddammit. This is another reason why I don't like interacting with Yuuka. _I think, irritated. "Are you done, then? If you are, then I would like to leave."

"Sure," She flaps a hand at me dismissively. "You can go. Be careful of the fairies on your way out."

I don't hang around any longer than that. If not for the flowers it would wreck and the wrath it would bring down on me, I would have used my wind runes to speed up my escape from that place. But as Yuuka warned, there are fairies lying in wait to ambush me.

_I really don't get her at all. _I muse, slipping past the bullets to whack each shooter on her head. _I seriously doubt I'm going to conquer her at all. I'm not the Capturing God, plus there isn't anything around my neck to make me do so._ (4)

Finally leaving the area of the sunflower field, I take a moment to stretch my body out. That's when the next idea of where to go strikes me: the Underground.

_I wouldn't mind seeing Yuugi or Satori again. Except there's one problem with that. I still can't fly, so if I go down there, it's going to be a problem getting up again._

But I've been acting on my whims for quite a while already, so why not now? I place my hands together and use a bit of ice energy to make a small disk the size of a large coin, one side with a small indentation in it.

"Heads I go, tails I don't." I flip the coin, and catch it. "Aaaand... heads it is. Now where is the entrance anyway?"

I end up having to use a boosted jump to get enough height to get my bearings, and manage to locate the cavern mouth soon after that. But just as I'm about to venture down into youkai territory, a growl from my stomach reminds me that I should eat lunch.

Rather than return to the village or Myouren Temple, however, I resort to foraging for herbs and fruits to eat. With the experience I had accumulated in my vacation from Gensokyo, it's an easy task to accomplish. Particularly with picking fruit from the trees; I just have to use Wire Performance to cut down and grab the fruits to bring to me.

A bit of precision slicing, and they're peeled and in neat slices, ready to eat. Taking a seat under a tree to get some shade from the summer sun, I enjoy this brief lunch, observing the roaming inhabitants of Gensokyo from my spot.

"_Gochisousama-deshita._" I clap my hands together in a brief prayer of thanks after finishing the meal. "Alright, time to go."

Activating my runes, I fly into the hole. If my memory serves, I had to use Blaze Revive last time because it was so dark, but I have a feeling that doing so now would just make me a target, so instead I use Iku's Keyblade, Sky's Embrace. It's special ability builds up an electrical charge the more I move around, and that charge manifests itself in the form of an energy field that can serve as a radar.

With it equipped, I can easily navigate the tunnel without using my eyes. Occasionally, some youkai try to hinder my way, alerted to my presence by the small glow of my Keyblade, which represents the level of charge I have gathered. Their attacks are simply testing, so it's an easy matter to simply dodge them with slight adjustments to my momentum.

A large spiderweb suddenly appears in front of me, forcing me to slow down by aiming wind directly forward. Seeing no way around other than through it, I let myself fall to the ground so I can talk to the person responsible.

"Who are you? And what are your intentions?" A blond girl in a brown dress descends from the cave ceiling to land in front of me.

_Uhhh... what was her name... Oh yeah, Yamame. Yamame... something. _"Yo. Remember me?" I greet, holding my hand up in a stationary wave.

She looks at me searchingly, tilting her head with a frown. "I... I recall seeing you before. Though I cannot remember where."

"It's me, Ikuto. You helped me treat my illness once." _Yeah, it's coming back to me now. I first met her when I was coming down here with Tenshi to get sake for a party._

Yamame finally looks at me with recognition. "Ohhh, yes, I do recall that. It certainly has been a while."

"I haven't thanked you for that, especially because of my companion at that time. So thank you for helping me back then." _Tenshi challenged her and beat her unconscious, after all. _"How have you been?"

"I have been well. Thank you for asking." Yamame turns slightly and dispels the web. "I assume you wish to travel to the Ancient City? Normally they don't turn away visitors, but I was curious as to your presence."

I realize that I still have Sky's Embrace active, which must be the reason why I attracted her attention. Looking at her closely, I see she's slightly on edge, twitching occasionally.

_Oops. Well, it's bright enough that I can navigate by sight now. _I swap my Keyblade out for Wavebreaker, and Yamame relaxes right away.

She looks at me curiously. "Was that feeling due to your weapon?" The tsuchigumo asks.

I nod sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was dark further back, so I was using it to sense my way around. I didn't realize it was affecting you until just now."

She shakes her head. "That's alright. It's not unpleasant, just that it felt... odd."

The look Yamame is giving me suddenly makes the back of my neck prickle. _What's with this... uh oh. She's looking for a fight._

"You seem to be very familiar with that weapon of yours, and the way it's able to transform into different shapes interests me..." Yamame sounds almost eager. "Would you care to spar with me?"

"Weeeelllll..." I draw out, unsure of whether to take her up on it, or just try to run. _Maybe I should give it a try? _"As long as I'm allowed to go to the City whether I win or lose."

"Certainly." Yamame agrees. "Now, shall we begin?"

She floats up and back, and begins releasing danmaku around her. I initially expect a simple spray, but to my surprise, half of the bullets suddenly shift in color and home in towards me. I quickly fire several homing shots of my own from Wavebreaker, while slipping through the gaps in her own firing pattern.

After taking a few blows, Yamame declares her first spellcard. I dodge to the side as she releases energy strings all over the place, before drawing them back towards herself in a circling pattern and firing them out again as tiny energy pellets.

_Left, right, right, jump, duck, left... _I avoid them with some difficulty, twisting around to prevent even a single one from brushing against my body. At the same time, I'm releasing my own bullets to break her spellcard. _Fire, fire, fire!_

Her next danmaku pattern involves another outward spray of bullets, but this time I'm ready for the bullet shift, which alters their direction from outwards into a straight drop in my direction. Much easier compared to the previous one, since I don't have to move as much.

"**Miasma - 'Unexplained Fever'!**"

I almost curse when I see the bullets materialize around her in a spiraling fashion, which indicated that they were going to go everywhere. With two more similar spirals being formed behind her, things were going to be difficult. I quickly jump back to get more distance, since it was easier to read the pattern from further away.

_Okay, just watch closely, make sure to see the safe points when- _"Oh fuck." _Some of the bullets shifted color and stopped after a certain distance. That's another element to look out for._

Turns out that it wasn't as hard as I thought. Overall there were three main bullet sources, and with the spiral shooting, there were only several angles at which the bullets could come at me. The paused shots turned out to move in the direction opposite of their initial flight, which turned out to be the exact same angles as the former. It was certainly a lot of bullets to see, but not all that hard to avoid.

Channeling a bit of Ki into my arms, I release a few blasts of my own, and she lets them smack ineffectively into her as a way to bring this impromptu battle to an end.

"You certainly do have some skill in battle." Yamame comments, descending back down to my level. "But I wished to see more of your weapon skills."

"Sorry, but I don't really have a proper way of reaching you with what I know." I apologize. _Plus there's no way I'm going to go in close against that crazy bullet storm you had._

"Alright. Go on ahead." She nods to me dismissively, and starts going back up along her thread.

I watch her for a while, before taking off to continue my journey down towards the deep underground.

Compared to the beginning of my journey, the current part is much more relaxed, since I now have Wavebreaker concealing me. In fact, I manage to sneak past Parsee, who appears to be busy muttering about something or someone at the side of the bridge. _Yandere_ successfully avoided, and my trip goes on.

_Thinking back, it might have been a good idea to have some mission support for this the way Reimu did in the game... maybe I should have looked for Suika or Nitori for help..._ I think to myself as I enter the city. _Speaking of Suika... I wonder how she's doing?_

The atmosphere in the place is upbeat as I recall, due to all the onis engaging in parties down here. It's impossible to see a street without anyone drinking or making merry.

_The last time I came here, I... _I jump up onto one of the walls that lined the street, and look around. _Nope, no damage. These guys can do amazing construction work. _

That's right, the last time I came down to this city, I was accompanied by Marisa, and I got myself drunk. Drunk enough, in fact, to challenge Yuugi to a fist fight. We tore up quite a few buildings then, although I don't recall most of it. Suika's Keyblade, Festival Horn, had a hidden ability where I could detach the keychain like the cap on a flask, and inside contained a special alcohol that would increase my strength when I drank it, at the cost of losing my sanity.

_Sanity... heh, sometimes I wonder if I'm really sane in the first place. _I hop back down into the street and start making my way towards the Palace of Earth Spirits, where Satori Komeiji lived.

There are some evil spirits around; blue manifestations of flame with skulls within that add their own illumination to this dark but lively place. They float around exuding a malevolent aura, but it's dim compared to the revelry generated by the oni. Occasionally, one comes close, and tries to lock onto me for some reason, but I simply cut it down with my weapon, which causes it to fade away, probably to reform elsewhere like a fairy.

"Oh? Just when I was planning to drink alone, I meet someone unexpected." I hear someone say loudly above my head, and look up.

Yuugi is there, seated on the roof with several jars of sake by her side and her red sake dish in her hand. Seeing that I've noticed her, she grins widely and beckons to me with her free hand.

"Yo! Join me for a drink?" The oni invites me, grinning.

I return it with a smile of my own, and jump up to land next to her. She pulls another sake dish from somewhere, much smaller compared to the one she's using, and fills it for me.

_Hmm, just as sharp as I recall. _I think, sipping the alcohol. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hm? Ah, yeah." Yuugi nudges me with an elbow. "Took a while to fix all the damage from last time, but as you can see, it's all okay now."

"Sorry." I apologize. "It happened because I drank too much."

The oni laughs. "No worries! This sort of thing happens once in a while, you know."

When I notice the sake in her dish is running low, I grab one of the jars and offer to refill it, which she accepts. I catch her eyeing me appreciatively after that.

"How's that Suika doing?" Yuugi pauses to ask.

"Her? Well, she's still the same, lazing around or looking for parties to join in." I reply. "What about you?"

Yuugi chuckles loudly. "It's always the same down here. Drinking contests, maybe a bash-up once in a while..."

"Any interest in going up above ground again? That festival was fun, wasn't it?"

"Hahaha! You sing pretty good, Ikuto! I really enjoyed myself back then."

"Thanks. You never know, maybe you might come right as an incident is happening."

"Incident, huh? Sounds like that might be worth taking a look."

"Considering that most of the time there's a party afterwards..." I hint obviously. "Besides, I know Suika would be happy to see you."

"She did come back down here a while ago, you know." Yuugi remarks.

_Really? I guess I must have been really out of touch while training at the SDM. _"Oh?"

The oni nods. "She brought some Celestial-brewed sake too. Almost as good as the two bottles that girl who came with you brought."

A smirk comes to my face as I recall how Tenshi got past Yuugi by bribing her with alcohol. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've tried their sake before."

"You should." Yuugi tells me, refilling my dish. "It's great."

"Maybe I'll ask Suika to bring me some next time." _Or Tenshi, though I'm not sure if she'll do it._

We continue to chat for a while. I tell her more about what I've been up to, such as my training at the SDM, followed by my moving out to stay at Myouren Temple. Yuugi seems pretty amused when I tell her that the people at the temple would probably welcome her at first, before kicking her out later when her partying gets too rowdy. I also hear more about what she's been doing in return, which is simply going around upper Gensokyo, though she didn't go up Youkai Mountain.

When I switch over to Festival Horn to make use of its power to burn through the alcohol in my blood faster, Yuugi notices and asks, "You haven't drunk any of that, have you?"

_She's referring to the time I powered up in our fight. _"Not since that time, no. I doubt I'll use it unless things are really dangerous."

"That's a good decision." She refills my dish again.

The lightheaded buzz that has been developing ever since I started drinking is fading as my Keyblade's power goes to work on me. It goes against the purpose of drinking for fun, but I'm not really interested in drinking myself into a stupor.

"Looks like you can really handle your drink, eh? How about competing with me sometime?" Yuugi leans towards me, a smirk on her already red face.

"I'll think about it." I reply carefully. "Besides, we're already out."

The oni blinks, and turns to look at the empty jar I'm holding upside down to show that it's empty.

"Ah, so we are." She sounds disappointed. "Well, guess it'll have to wait until the next time." With that, she finished off what's left in her dish and stands up. "I think I'll go back to get some sleep. See you around, Ikuto."

"Yeah, see you around, Yuugi."

She flies away, leaving me to deal with the empty jars. But with so many breweries around, it's a simple matter to just drop them off at one of the shops, who will simply reuse them. After doing my part to prevent littering, I finally resume my journey to the Palace of Earth Spirits.

I notice a few hell ravens and cats watching me, and they run off once they seem to have confirmed my destination. Sure enough, I find Satori meeting me at the entrance, her pets having warned her of my arrival.

"Hello. We meet again." She greets me softly, curtseying.

"Yes, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It seems that it was longer for you than it was for me." Satori comments, before turning to indicate the open gate. "Would you like to come in?"

I nod and thank her for the invitation, and follow her inside, accompanied by all the pets.

"Is Koishi around?" I ask the back of Satori's head.

She turns her head to look at one of the cats, before facing straight forward. "My younger sister is currently out somewhere. No doubt going wherever suits her fancy."

_I'm tempted to start some song in my head. _

Satori instantly turns around and frowns at me. "Please don't."

"Alright, since you asked." I glance around. "What about Rin and Utsuho?" It took me a while to recall their names; I remember referring to them as Orin and Okuu respectively.

"Orin is currently out gathering more fuel for the fires, but Utsuho is here." Satori finally enters a sitting room, and gestures for me to take a seat. "Though she is currently busy tending to the reactor."

"Ah, is that so?"

Her pets leave and return with a pushcart laden with snacks and tea, and Satori serves me some of them before doing the same for herself. She really does look the picture of an elegant, if reclusive, lady. Reminds me a bit of Kaguya, in fact. Then again, Kaguya isn't really suited for living on her own. Satori on the other hand, looks perfectly capable of looking after herself even without her pets.

"I appreciate the compliment." Satori says without looking at me.

I nod, not caring that she's technically intruding my privacy by reading my thoughts. "How have you been?"

"My life goes on as it always has. I'm content with it."

"I see." I smile at her. "Glad to hear that." _But what I really mean is, how are you getting along with your sister?_

Satori twitches, and I immediately realize that their relationship is still the same as it was before.

After a moment of silence, she finally sighs. "Her whimsical personality just makes me worry about her sometimes." Satori admits.

"Well, she is your sister, after all. And with her ability, it's hard to keep track of her, isn't it?"

"That's right, because her power counters mine." Satori eyes me over her teacup. "But it appears that you aren't as affected."

"What do you mean?"

Satori explains to me how her sister's ability not only prevents her from being detected by normal means, but actually makes them unable to remember her afterwards. From what little she can see of my heart, it tells her that I, for probably the same reason that Satori has difficulty reading me, is a bit unaffected by this.

_Well, sounds like there are some times where I must have forgotten about my interactions with that girl. _I muse, drinking my tea. _I need to go to the toilet soon. Have been drinking too much._

"If you need to relieve yourself, the washroom is outside the door and to the left, at the end of the hallway." Satori informs me.

_Okay, I suppose that part would be embarrassing to be read. _"Excuse me then." I get up from the table and leave the room.

On my way back after I've relieved my bladder, I encounter Okuu, who seems surprised to see me. Then again, given her mind, I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot me.

"Ah, it's Ikuto! What are you doing here?"

Aaaaand... I'm surprised she remembered me. "I came to visit~ But sorry, okay? I didn't bring any eggs for you this time."

"Mmm..." She pouts. "Alright, but you've got to bring me some next time, okay?"

"Haha, sure. If you like, how about I go out and buy you some later?"

"Really? Yay!" Okuu throws her arms up in joy. "That's a promise, right?!"

I nod, patting her on top of her head. "Yep, that's a promise."

When we rejoin Satori, the owner doesn't look too surprised to see Okuu with me. As for Okuu, she breaks away to tell Satori about her day of managing the furnace, such as opening the skylight to cool things down when they got too hot. I can imagine Okuu doing this every time, reporting the same thing to her owner each time, but looking at the way Satori is smiling, it's obvious she cares for her pets very much.

"And Ikuto said he'd bring me eggs later!" Okuu finishes, causing Satori to turn towards me.

"Spoiling my pet again, Ikuto?" Satori's tone is so dry I almost didn't realize she's teasing me.

"But she's so cute. Just like her master." I reply right away.

"Yes! Satori-sama is cute, just like Okuu!" Said pet hugged her master and started rubbing her head against Satori's face.

Seeing Satori's lack of expression as her head gets nudged repeatedly from her pet's show of affection is kind of amusing. Not so much when her shoe rams into my shin, still without a change in her facial expression. Looks like she doesn't like being teased very much.

"Hey, Okuu, come here for a bit." I beckon the hell raven, who turns towards me curiously.

"What is it?" She skips over to me.

I start combing my fingers through her hair. "Your hair's messy. You should comb it sometime." _Quite a lot of knots..._

"Ahaha, that feels weird!" Okuu giggles, but doesn't pull away from me.

"Do you have a comb?" I ask Satori as I continue to comb out Okuu's hair.

"I do. In fact, I do groom my pets, you know." The youkai replies, picking up her teacup.

"It feels just like how Satori-sama does it for me." Okuu murmurs contentedly.

I glance at Satori, who doesn't seem to be displeased. In fact, she closes her eyes dismissively.

"I'm not so small-hearted as to be jealous of something like that."

"That's right! Satori-sama's big heart is amazing!" Okuu adds, pumping a fist.

_They really do love you a lot. _I think, looking around at the other pets crowding around us. _It makes me feel a little envious._

This time, Satori smiles, and it's a beautiful scene.

* * *

><p>"Seriously, what sort of technology went into this?" I ask out loud, staring up into the darkness.<p>

True to my word, I bought some eggs from the shops in the Ancient City to give to Okuu, and asked Satori to help send me above ground once again. I don't know just how the passage she brought me through leads to where I am now, but apparently it's linked to a research center run by the kappas. I have a feeling that the Moriya Shrine people are linked to this in some way, but it also leads to the question as to what Satori makes of their meddling.

As for where I am? I'm currently riding some kind of platform elevator up towards ground level, and it's a huge one. There's a yin-yang symbol in the center with the eight trigrams around it, and the whole design is glowing bright yellow. In fact, running along the sides of this chute is a spiral staircase, and the whole thing extends amazingly high up, giving a small idea of just how far I traveled underground in order to reach Satori's place.

_Is this even okay? Somehow, I feel like I'm trespassing... _I stamp experimentally on the elevator. _Also, how does this even work? Magnets? Faith? Lack of common sense?_

In the end, I decide not to think too much about it, and instead work on trying to understand the 'new' Keyblades I have yet to name. However, thinking about the situation in which I had brought them out pissed me off quite a bit.

_I'm definitely going to punch that bastard the next time I see him! _I clench my fist angrily. _Then again... who was that Black guy anyway?_

After brooding about it for a bit, it hits me just what a waste of time it is, and I go back to focusing on my weapon.

First is the one _he_ used, Remi's Keyblade. Despite how long it's been since I last summoned it, it comes to me easily. _And it's still hard to hold as always. _I wince as I feel the spikes on the handle bite into my hand.

Thinking back to that fight, this weapon absorbs blood in exchange for red energy that I can manipulate any way I wish, be it to form a shield, blade, or even an energy bolt. Simply put, it's a trade for power. Just like Remi, to do things only when there's something in it for her.

"Well, that makes things easy." I raise it up above my head. "This is a contract between me and the elder Scarlet sister. Our... Crimson Pact."

The cross keychain twinkles, and now has a small black bat overlaying the center. Smiling, I dismiss the weapon and bring out Meiling's one next.

The thing is as huge as I recall, and as light as it is big, plus I can infuse it with Ki to make a powerful bludgeoning weapon due to its affinity with my own Ki. But what's really incredible about it is its versatility. Depending on the type of Ki I channel into it when I activate it by twisting the handle, it can transform into a set of equipment that best enables me to use the selected Ki.

Red Ki, destructive, it becomes a pair of giant gauntlets, with piledriver-like protrusions extending out from the elbow. I remember charging the cylindrical thing in my right arm with even more Ki to hit EX-Rumia with, and it was incredibly powerful.

Yellow Ki, sharp, turns the Keyblade into blades running along the outside of my arms and shins. It doesn't look like it's safe to test it out at its full capabilities where I am now, but a quick swipe towards the rock wall confirms my guess: I can fire extremely sharp bursts of Ki that will cut very deeply even into bedrock.

Orange Ki, defensive, I used it to block EX-Rumia's attack. It's an expandable round shield with several layers made up of energy, and by my estimate, I could probably tank a strike from an oni with it, although I'd still be sent flying, just unhurt from the blow.

Next is Green Ki, propulsive, also used in the same battle to avoid a counterattack. Taking the form of thin gauntlets and greaves, I can use them to add more force to my movements, or if I want to, send green blasts to knock my targets away.

Blue Ki, stability, it's not my forte. During the fight, Black told me so, and even when I used the hand cannon form from Meiling's Keyblade, it was easily deflected. Still, I suppose it would do for a range attack.

Indigo Ki, speed, turns the Keyblade into a sort of full-body covering with glowing indigo lines running out from a large core on the chest along the limbs. The speed is incredible when I'm wearing it, almost at the level if I were to focus the entirety of Phantom Blossom's enhancement into a single limb. On the other hand, there's not much defense. It reminds me of Fate's Sonic Form. (5)

Lastly, Purple Ki, manipulation, perfect if I were to do Aikido. The equipment covers me from shoulders to fingers, with three purple lines extending out from glowing purple crystals on the shoulders, and spiraling around my lower arm to reach similarly colored circles on the palms and backs of my hands, where further lines wrap around my fingers.

_Huh, this is weird. I wonder what this does? _I wonder as I look over my new accessories, then I notice something else. _Oh, the top's finally in sight. No wonder I couldn't see anything, it's dark. I must have been down there longer than I thought._

Suddenly, there's the sound of footsteps, many of them, and before I can react, there are several kappas surrounding me, standing on an outer ring that the platform elevator has stopped at, and every one of them is wielding a type of gun, aimed at me. There are about eight of them, by my count.

"Intruder! Identify yourself!" One of them barks.

_Something tells me that this wasn't part of the plan for me to get out... or was it? _The image of Satori smirking while she makes the victory sign comes to mind. "Ah, I think there's a misunderstanding somewhere, why don't you put those guns down and..." I say, raising my hands to show that I'm unarmed.

"He's charging his lasers! Everyone, fire!"

_Ah fuck, I forgot about this thing I'm wearing. _I think miserably as several bullets shoot towards me.

I initially move to dodge the projectiles, but then the crystals on my shoulders start glowing, and suddenly I realize that there's something else I can do. Spinning around quickly, I take note of how many shots are coming towards me.

_Eight directions, three, three, two, four, one, two, three, and one big one still charging up. _The first bullet comes within the range of my arms, and I reach out and gently brush it aside as a test of my newfound ability. _I see, so the Purple Ki gear allows me to redirect things, even danmaku._

As the remainder of the barrage come into my range, I quickly start deflecting them towards the kappas. It's amazing to see the energy bolt curl around my arm before I release it back towards its sender. With the kappas not expecting this sudden turn of events, they fall to their own fire before they realize what's happening, knocked out by whatever energy they were using for their bullets.

The last one manages to fire off her cannon before she falls, and the size of the shot is as big as my chest. Bracing myself, I bring my hands up to intercept it. The moment it makes contact, I draw it into my control, spinning around to bleed off the force behind it. And with a flourish, I throw it up towards the night sky.

Letting the equipment revert back to its Keyblade form, I watch the red ball shrink as it flies further away, before exploding into an impressive burst of fireworks. _Okay, better get out before reinforcements come to see what's happening._

Knowing that Ki is lesser known compared to magic, I decide to rely on the former for my escape. Once again I draw out the Green Ki armament, and use it to jump as hard as I can. As it turns out, as hard as I can is several times higher with the equipment assisting me; not only do I clear the distance to the top of the hole, but I go even higher than the trees around the outside of the opening. Once I feel myself start to slow, I activate the slow fall ability from Cirno's ring and take a look around.

_Uwaaa... it's really late. The night youkais are starting to become active. Better get back quickly._

Since the glow from the gauntlets and greaves are guaranteed to draw attention, I quickly dismiss them, and orientate myself in the direction of Myouren Temple before activating my wind runes for propulsion.

"Guess I'll be relying on you for help from now on," I look at the large Keyblade I'm holding. "Rainbow Treasury."

The star-shaped keychain twinkles, clearly accepting the name I've given it. Smiling, I revert the weapon back to its original form and tuck it safely into my clothes, before turning up my power full blast for maximum speed.

* * *

><p>(1) Guess the manga from which Ikuto is drawing this idea from. It shouldn't be too hard.<p>

(2) I'm sure everyone remembers the tanuki suit in Mario, right?

(3) Another copied technique from Hitman Reborn, the actual name is Sakamaku Ame (Rolling Rain), from the Shigure Souen Style.

(4) Reference to The World God Only Knows. Great harem manga, which ended just a while back. I'm sure we all know Katsuragi Keima, the Capturing God.

(5) Fate Testarossa from the Nanoha series. Her Sonic form involves the shedding of her armor, sacrificing defense for overwhelming speed. And a whole lot more sexiness.

And yes! Once again, I have updated my shameless self-insert fanfic! If anything, it was even harder to write than the previous one, which was updated after several months on hiatus like this one. But it became easier after the first few parts.

Let me just say thanks to all my fans who are following this, as well as those who message me asking whether I have abandoned this fic or not. Knowing that I have people who wish to see where I'm going with this fanfic is great motivation to keep writing. So thanks once again, please continue to support me. I'll do my best to update again soon.

Regarding the combat, if you feel like Ikuto's fighting skills has diminished a little, you're right. In the Monster Hunter world, he was only practicing with martial arts and Ki, along with basic Monster Hunting skills. Even with his bond to the girls, there are still stuff he's forgotten, and now he's trying to relearn those skills. In case some of you may have forgotten, Ikuto does have this ability where he materializes miniature versions of his Keyblades. Expect to see those make a reappearance in the next chapter.

Well, time to work on the next chapter of FateProphecy Break! And life goes on...


	58. Chapter 57: Undefined Seeking

_Really, I don't quite get how Buddhism works for the youkai here. _I think to myself as I sit in my room reading a book borrowed from Byakuren. _Especially when the main members such as Shou or Ichirin have no qualms about drinking alcohol._

It's testament to how often I've seen Yukari done it that I barely react when I look up to see her head poking out of a gap in the middle of the room, even when it's sideways. We make eye contact for several seconds, before she gives up on getting a reaction out of me and emerges fully, the gap rotating so that she comes out standing upright.

"Hi there." I greet her casually. "I'd serve tea, but then again, I'm only a guest here."

Yukari smiles faintly. "I'm only here to drop off your things, so there's no need for that."

Closing the book, I take a closer look at her. "Well, thanks for that, I guess."

"Why did you add 'I guess' at the end?" She asks airily, obviously not expecting a reply, and not getting one.

Stepping to one side, she opens up another gap in the air, which deposits out a bag and knife before moving to the side and dropping out a set of armor. The process repeats, with different sets of equipment, until a sizable load lies in the center of the room.

"Woah. Did I really gather up all this stuff?" I ask, almost disbelieving my eyes.

"Yes you did." Yukari tells me.

I pick up one of the closest things to me, a Fire-element Hammer with what looks like a bullet chamber of a revolver as the hammer's head, hefting its weight in my hands. _Still, I wonder if I'll ever have any use for this in here, considering that there's nothing in it for me if I go monster hunting._

"By the way, I think you might be interested in this particular set."

Yukari uses her closed fan to push a bag down the pile, revealing a full-body set of black armor.

_Oh that's the Akantor armor. I didn't really wear it, but I just went to make it for the sake of collecting the full set... But it's weird, it's the first time I've seen all the pieces together rather than the separate parts, so why does it look so familiar? _Then the pieces fall into place. _No way. _

My head keeps turning between it and Yukari herself, as though trying to figure out if it was a joke or not. But when she doesn't say a thing and instead continues to watch me, I realize that she's not having me on.

Before I traveled back in time, I once went out of the SDM to go visiting around Gensokyo. It was sometime in early autumn, if I recall correctly. That time, I was going to Myouren Temple when a guy in black armor interrupted my trip. The armor he wore that time is identical to the set that's in front of me right now.

"Wait, wait, wait... are you trying to tell me that the guy who got in my way last time... was me?"

Yukari blinks at me. "What are you talking about?"

I stare at her for a few seconds before it hits me. _Oh yeah... she doesn't know about it because it hasn't happened yet._

"Ah, never mind then." I dismiss it.

But with the way Yukari looks at me, I can't help thinking that she _does _know.

Later, after she's left, I start sorting out through the mess she left in my room. There's so much stuff that I almost wish I had that giant chest which I used to store all these while I was Monster Hunting. _Where am I going to store all these anyway? What will they say when they find-_

The sound of the door sliding open makes me turn my head. "Ikuto-san, it's time for din-" Shou stops and stares all around at the things cluttering my room. "What happened here?"

"Ah, Shou-san." I nod to the tiger youkai as she enters and approaches where I'm sitting. "Well, somebody came by to drop off some of the stuff she was holding on for me."

"There's so much of it." She's awed by all the armor sets. "But it's mainly weapons and armor. How did you get all these?"

"That's a loooong story..." I put away the Dual Blades I'm holding. "I'll tell you about it afterwards, alright?"

"I'd like that, thanks."

As we make our way to the dining hall, I take the opportunity to scrutinize her a bit more. It's interesting, because as a youkai, her form was manifested from the fears of people who heard stories about tigers, but had never seen one themselves. Certainly, she does have a tiger-ish look about her; in addition to the tiger-striped sash around her waist, her blond hair is streaked with black in a similar manner, and the color of her eyes are a golden orange.

"Yes?" Shou naturally notices, of course. "Is there something on my face?"

"No... it's just that you're..." I pause as I try to come up with words to express how I'm feeling. "Interesting. Like your hair, or your eyes."

"Wh-what?"

_Odd... what's this feeling? _I find myself turning to face Shou, who likewise has turned to face me. _It's like there's something drawing me to her... _"Your appearance is very striking, especially your hair. It's very pretty."

A blush appears on her face. "Th-thank you."

Then the moment is gone, and I step back. "Le-let's go to dinner, shall we?" _Weird... just what was that anyway?_

"Y-you're right!" Shou squeaks, and practically sprints down the corridor.

Today's one of the rare days where I'm not doing the cooking; Ichirin was, and her cooking is pretty good. I'm sharing my table with Byakuren, Mamizou, and Murasa, and we're talking while waiting for the food to be served.

"Ikuto-san, you've been going out quite often recently. What have you been doing?" Byakuren asks me mildly.

"Well, just going around visiting, actually."

I couldn't really visit the people I knew due to the risk of causing a paradox, but that didn't mean I couldn't look in on them. Reimu and Marisa were the same as always, one being lazy at her shrine while the other goes around dropping in on the former from time to time. However, I didn't see Suika around, so she's probably out somewhere. As for Alice, she seems to be doing fine, though it looks like she spends quite a while looking out the window and sighing wistfully.

The people at Eientei are doing well for themselves too; Reisen is being kept busy by all the work Eirin sets her on, and the pharmacist has her own heavy workload as well. Kaguya, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have left her room apart from the time when Mokou comes in to drag her out, which usually results in a huge battle before they give up and go to thrash each other over games.

Some places I didn't visit were the village and the SDM. The former was because it hurt a little, knowing that Keine was there, and I didn't want to see her just yet. The mansion was because of the risk of being spotted; if I wanted to get close enough to even glimpse Meiling, I would have to go through the mist enough to be seen myself. Thus it was better that I didn't risk it.

But mainly, I've been spending time with Nazrin, who doesn't stay within the temple itself, but at Muenzuka, one of the places where things from the Outside tend to slip into Gensokyo. It's the perfect place for someone who has the ability to search for things. But... her personality isn't really very friendly towards me.

"Oh, so you've been with Nazrin." Byakuren has a pleased smile on her face. "Is she doing well?"

I nod. "She is." _And being kind of a dick about it, actually._

"Maybe we should go pay her a visit sometime." Byakuren suggests.

"That sounds like a good idea." Murasa chimes in, smiling.

Mamizou just nods, watching me carefully.

Ichirin and Unzan come out bearing plates, followed by the other youkais who were helping with the food. Once everyone has been served, we place our hands together to give thanks before digging in.

_Hmm, it does taste good, although maybe a little bit more flavor could have been brought out. _I think, carefully savoring the taste of the vegetables in my mouth.

"So, what's your take on it?" Mamizou asks me.

"Huh?"

The tanuki youkai points her smoking pipe at me. "That look on your face, it's the face of someone who's judging what's in front of them."

"Well, you do have the cooking skills to back that up." Murasa agrees, having ate my food already.

Byakuren puts another piece of vegetable in her mouth and chews for a moment before saying, "I can't really decide which is better, Ikuto-san's cooking or Ichirin's cooking."

_...Okay, I'm definitely NOT going to go down that route. No cooking contests for me, thank you very much. _"Ichirin's a better cook than me, certainly."

"Really? I think so too." Murasa says through a half-mouthful of food.

"Now, Murasa, you know you shouldn't talk with food in your mouth." Byakuren chides her.

The ghost swallows and apologizes. "Sorry, Hijiri."

_Wait, why does a ghost need to eat anyway? _I study Murasa carefully, but to my eyes, she looks solid enough. _Another of Gensokyo's mysteries... Oh wait, there's Yuyuko._

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Murasa asks, having noticed my staring at her.

"Ah, it's just that you reminded me of another ghost I met before."

That gets their attention, and I spend the rest of the dinner explaining what I know about Hakugyokurou and its inhabitants. Come to think of it, I don't think they would have encountered each other, right? Only Youmu would be likely to have come across this place, and if I'm thinking this right, that should have happened when Miko was being revived, due to the number of spirits that gathered.

They seem interested to hear about another Gensokyo personage, but it's nothing more than the interest in something new, so after I'm finished talking, the conversation moves on.

I turn the same question Byakuren asked me back on my dining partners, and learn just what they've been up to as well. Byakuren has been visiting the village to ask for alms from the people living there, in addition to her usual duties at the temple. As for Murasa, since the temple itself is the ship she's in charge of, there's not much for her to do since it's beached. Most of the time, she's just passing the time by talking to the others.

Mamizou's not very forthcoming with details, but I get the impression that she's been going around establishing her presence among the other tanukis in Gensokyo, though for what reason I have absolutely idea.

After the meal, I return back to my room to continue sorting through my stuff, only to be interrupted partway through by Shou, who has also brought Ichirin along. They're carrying two bottles of what's clearly alcohol.

"Good evening. Mind if we come in?" Ichirin greets me.

"Sure. Sorry for the clutter, by the way."

"No, it's alright."

They take a seat at the small desk which was provided with the room, and start filling up the sake dishes. I finish up with my current sorting project before joining them, taking one of the dishes for myself.

"By the way, what does Hijiri-san say about you drinking alcohol?"

They look at each other, then back at me. "She's quite alright with it, actually." Ichirin tells me.

"As long as we don't do it too blatantly in front of Hijiri." Shou adds.

_Hmm, this feels a little like drinking with Suika and Komachi. _I think to myself as I sip from the sake dish.

Naturally, the conversation turns to all the armor and weapons in my room, and like I promised Shou earlier, I start telling the two of them the story of how I ended up in a Monster Hunter-Touhou crossover world. To them, it's a riveting tale, as I describe how the people there survive against monsters that could potentially wipe out whole villages. They're also interested to hear my descriptions of the Gensokyo counterparts I met there, such as how they were similar or different.

"Come to think of it, isn't your ability the power to gather treasures? How does it figure with these?" I ask Shou, indicating the things around the room.

Equipment wasn't the only thing I had gathered; there were some precious gems and crafting materials as well, though they wouldn't be as useful here as they were over there.

"Well..." Shou seems a bit embarrassed. "To be honest, most of that is due to the pagoda. I just focus its power to gather wealth. Otherwise..." She trails off. "Sorry for causing you disappointment."

I shake my head. "Nah, it's okay. Here, have some more." I refill her dish.

"You seem very used to drinking." Ichirin comments.

"I'm close friends with Suika, remember?" I remind her.

"Who's Suika?" She asks.

That leads to us discussing the other girls I know. Apparently, with the exception of Byakuren, the Myouren Temple people aren't that widely traveled, so they welcome the knowledge I bring. I suggest that they go out to visit one of these days, so they can at least get to know the other inhabitants of Gensokyo. Ichirin and Shou seem quite agreeable, and I'm fairly sure Byakuren wouldn't mind.

We run out of sake quickly, but none of us are in any way drunk since we all seem to be used to imbibing alcohol. Rather than going for refills, we decide to call it a night and go to sleep. The empty bottles are taken back to the kitchen by the pair, leaving me alone in my room.

Or at least, until there's another knock at the door.

"Ikuto-san, are you still awake?" It's Byakuren's voice.

"Yeah, come on in."

She opens the door and like the others, stops and stare at the armor around the place. "Where did all this come from?" She asks me.

"Just some stuff that was dropped off here by Yukari."

"Ohh, that boundary youkai, right? I see."

Byakuren takes a seat at the table, and I take a moment to appreciate how beautiful she is. _Most interesting of all is the way her hair color goes from purple to brown. And she just oozes with that 'older sister' aura._

"So what can I do for you, Hijiri-san?"

"There's no need for that. I just wish to talk to you."

I grin at her. "Sure thing. What would you like to talk about?"

Chatting with Byakuren is surprisingly interesting, as she has a lot of stories to tell about her life before being sealed and coming to Gensokyo. From there, the conversation meanders around, going from battle techniques to magical spells, then to youkai characteristics. Somewhere in between, she gives me permission to call her by her first name. All in all, I think we spent several hours talking before I finally yawn.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm keeping you up when you need your sleep." Byakuren apologizes.

I wave her off. "No, I really enjoy talking to you." But my brain picks that moment to throw out something entirely random. "Say, do you mind if I try something with you?"

Byakuren blinks. "What is it you wish to try?"

_Gah, might as well go for broke then. _"Well, I thought that maybe with all your work, you might be feeling a little tense, so I was wondering if maybe you'd like a bit of massage to help you unwind?"

"Massage? Well, I suppose that would be okay..." She sounds a bit dubious.

I get up and go around behind her, and place my hands on her shoulders. "Here I go..."

_Well, they certainly are stiff. _I start off gently, increasing the pressure as needed to work the kinks out of her muscles. _Wonder what happens if I try to use a bit of magic like this... If I recall correctly from my lessons with Patchy, there might be some interference if there's already some magic present, so I have to be careful when I-_

"Ohhhhh~" Byakuren moans in pleasure. "That feels goooood~"

_Apparently my magic is compatible with hers... _I can feel her loosening up quite easily, and I have to support her with my arms to prevent her from falling over. "Oh, that's good then."

It goes on for a few more minutes before I finally stop, leaving Byakuren panting while resting her upper body on the table.

"That... was... incredible..." She gasps out. "You're really good at this..."

"Thanks, I guess..." _Was it really all me, or was it the magic as well? _

"I think I had better go back to my room... Good night, Ikuto."

"Good night, Byakuren."

I see her off; she's staggering as she walks, but it looks like she can manage well enough not to fall, so there's no need for my help. Thinking back, it's kind of weird, but while I was giving her the massage, I thought I felt Koakuma's aura for a moment. But that doesn't make sense, because Koakuma's all the way back at the SDM. There's no reason for her to be anywhere near here.

I catch sight of the black armor. _Oh right. There's still the matter of _that_. ...well, I did promise myself._

My right hand clenches into a fist, and I punch myself in the cheek hard enough to make it sting.

_That was stupid, but I somehow feel better for it. Alright, time to sleep. I'll deal with the rest tomorrow._

* * *

><p>"Excuse me~!" I call out as I approach the river. "Is there a kappa there?"<p>

You may ask why I'm seeking out a kappa. Well, the reason for that is because during an afternoon chat with Byakuren about what I did during my free time, the topic of what I did to the kappas when I emerged from the underground came up, and Byakuren told me to go and make amends for that. Taking her advice, and a few cucumbers from the temple's stores, I went to do just that.

Personally, I would rather just hide and hope they forget about it, but Byakuren was very firm about making sure that I did it, escorting me to the river area before leaving me to go ahead on my own.

_I have a feeling that this is going to end up with me as a prisoner, interrogated for what I know, before they finally confiscate all the cucumbers I have and release me._

"Yes? Who's asking for a kappa?" I hear a female voice call back in reply.

_That's not Nitori's voice. Oh well, I can't always be so lucky. _"It's me. You know, me."

"...I don't think I know you..." The kappa replies dubiously.

I finally spot her, standing out of the water; like every other kappa, she's wearing a blue dress and a cap, but her cap is a turquoise color compared to Nitori's green one. In addition, she has green hair and is also wearing glasses. When she notices me, a brief moment passes before her eyes widen in recognition.

"Aaah! You're that intruder from back then!" She yelps, and stumbles backwards, only to trip over a stone and conk her head on the ground.

I wince. _So much for hoping to be recognized from Aya's news reports. I had no idea she would be one of those I took down on my way out. _"Are you okay? I brought peace offerings." I ask her, pulling out a cucumber for her to see.

"Ow ow oww..." She sits up, rubbing her head, and finally notices the cucumber. "Is that for me?" The kappa asks eagerly, before apparently remembering that she's supposed to be wary of me.

"Yep, consider this an apology for how we met last time."

The kappa peers at me suspiciously through her glasses, before finally accepting that I genuinely mean it, and holds her hand out for the cucumber.

"Give me the cucumber." She orders.

I plop it into her outstretched hand. "Here you go." _Guess she's tsundere?_

Rather than eat it right away, she tucks it away into one of the pockets on her skirt, and stands to her feet.

"So, what did you come for?"

"I came to apologize." I repeat patiently. "I didn't mean to intrude on whatever you were doing there."

The kappa reaches into another pocket, and pulls out a cylindrical gun, which she aims at me. It's green in color, and tapers down to a blunt point with a tiny hole, the overall image looking like a water gun. To my credit, I don't react with immediate violence upon her person, but raise my hands up in surrender.

"Then you'll have to come with me for some questioning." She orders.

_Well, I can't say that I didn't expect this. _I think dully. _I'm really tempted to start running now._

I get taken to a hidden cave entrance, one that leads me into an underground structure filled with other kappas. Naturally, being led at gunpoint, I draw quite a bit of attention. A few more kappas come to join my guard, until I'm finally left inside a room with a table and two chairs, all of which are a bit small for me. I pull one of the chairs out and take a seat, settling down to wait.

After a while, the door I entered through opens again, this time to admit a redheaded kappa, with a hat that looks more like a police cap. The rest of her clothes seem to indicate some sort of military bearing as well. She gives me a severe look, before taking the other chair.

"Name?" She asks pointedly.

"Ikuto." I answer, watching her carefully.

Her expression registers a bit of surprise and recognition, before she collects herself.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Well... I think..." I say slowly, "It involved... something... like this... or the other..."

I was expecting it, but when she suddenly slams her hand on the table, I jump a little.

"You were intruding in a restricted area." The kappa says harshly.

"Well, I wasn't there because I _wanted _to, you know." I defend myself.

"Oh, is that so." The kappa leans forward. "Why don't you explain it to me then?"

"Okay, here's what happened..."

I give a summarized account of the events leading to my presence in that elevator, though with some modifications; I was in the Underground City, I couldn't fly out, so I asked Satori for help, which was how I ended up riding the elevator to the top.

"Believe me, I had no idea that it was yours." _I feel like I'm in one of those cop shows..._

"Then how do you explain your actions? You attacked some of our comrades." Cop kappa demands.

"Well, to be fair, they attacked me first. I simply defended myself." Seeing her expression of disbelief, I continue, "It looked worse than it appeared, so I decided to run for it. They weren't hurt that badly, I made sure not to do more than was necessary."

"It was more than necessary." She grounds out.

"Let's just agree to disagree on that, then. I came with cucumbers to make up for it, okay?" I put the bag containing said gifts on the table between us.

She opens her mouth to say something, but the door suddenly opens to reveal Nitori, who's breathing a bit heavily.

"Ikuto, are you alright?" She asks, concern for me evident in her tone.

"I'm fine, thanks for worrying." _Wow, I never expected to be rescued like this. _I think, surprised.

"Kawashiro-san, what are you doing? I'm currently interrogating a suspect here." The redhead says crossly.

"I know him, I can vouch for Ikuto." Nitori insists.

"And I haz cucumberz." I add, picking up the bag and shaking it.

Unfortunately, the reference seems to go over their heads entirely. In the end, Nitori manages to argue my case successfully, and I get released, with the cucumbers confiscated as compensation for the act. It seems a bit weird, considering that I brought those cucumbers there as a peace-making gift in the first place, not because I like carrying cucumbers around, just in case I need to bribe off the angry kappa police.

_Then again, dealing with kappas has its own inherent risk. From what I recall of Akyuu's notes, their racial ability to manipulate water gives them a huge advantage in their home ground, _I glance back at the huge pool of water nearby, _and I have no desire to test to see if Eternal Inheritance's elemental defense can stand up to it._

It's an uncomfortable thought. I know that with all the Keyblades I have, I'm quite capable of taking on some of the mid-tier people here, but that doesn't mean I don't have my weaknesses. In order to survive in the water, I would have to rely on Kaguya's Keyblade, but that would restrict my ability to do much else, and the kappas are sure to have other stuff to throw at me.

_Meh, doesn't really bother me if I don't let it. I'm fine as I am right now. _I hum a simple tune as I follow Nitori out of the cave.

"I can't believe you came here after what you did." She says to me exasperatedly. "You're lucky you weren't killed."

"I know that, but I had to apologize, you see." I look around to see if I can spot Byakuren, but there's no sign of her. "Well, that, and I also have a few ideas about inventions."

Nitori perks up at the last part. "That sounds interesting. Tell me more about it later."

When we're in her workshop, seated with cups of tea, I bring up my idea.

From a few questions on my part, I find out that the whole reactor thing was organized under, surprise, Kanako. The offer of this inexhaustible power supply was what gathered the kappas under her flag, but given the typical kappa character, they're starting to lose interest.

That's where my idea comes in: Go-Kart racing.

_I wonder what would Kaguya do if she knew I was trying to bring Mario Kart to Gensokyo. _I muse as I sketch out the idea for Nitori to see.

There's a lot of things that would interest the eccentric geniuses that the kappas are; there's not only everything about the cart, engine, frame, suspension, wheels, et cetera, but the modifications that can be done on the track itself as well. Before I'm even halfway done, I can see her scribbling down several ideas already.

"That's an incredible! There's so many things I can think of with it!" Nitori says excitedly.

"Right?" Even I'm starting to get infected by her mood.

Between the two of us, we come up with several rules that her fellow kappas would be likely to follow, such as blueprints for several vehicle types that could be allowed (Wouldn't be fair if everyone turned up in tanks, would it?), the types of enhancements (Or if everyone was firing incendiary rockets), and the types of track hazards. By the time we're done, there's quite enough for a full length proposal to the rest of the kappas.

"This is going to be great!" Nitori cheers, gathering up all the papers we've written our notes on. "I can't wait for development to start!"

"I'm looking forward to it myself." I tell her.

Nitori smiles at me, and it's a cheerful one. "I'm glad to have you as a friend, Ikuto."

I return her smile. "I feel the same way."

She blushes slightly, and quickly turns away to put the papers on a worktable out of the way. "Here, let me see you off."

When I get outside, I realize it's already quite late, so I quickly take my leave. Along the way, I find Byakuren waiting for me.

"How was it?" She asks, flying alongside me as I jump.

"It went... pretty well, I guess."

"That's good to hear." Byakuren smiles beatifically.

"Still, remind me not to annoy the kappas next time."

She nods. "I'll do that."

* * *

><p><em>Haa... Just what do I do to pass the time? Training is getting tedious, the youkai at Myouren Temple are busy so I don't want to bother them, and I can't visit my usual places because of the goddamn paradox. If I knew things would be like this, I'd have chosen to stay in the Monster Hunter world longer...<em>

That's the thought running through my head as I gaze out over the scenery on Gensokyo from the top of this radio tower in the Forest of Magic. I have no idea how something like this slipped through, but if I were to guess, it's probably a tower that got abandoned somewhere, and when people forgot about it, it slipped past the Hakurei Barrier to enter Gensokyo.

Normally, it would be decades before a radio tower gets covered in greenery like this one is, but this is the Forest of Magic, so wild unexplained growth of plants isn't weird. Anyway, it makes the whole thing easier to climb in any case. The only issue is the presence of fairies, which is typical, and easily dealt with. For the time being, I'm using Wavebreaker to conceal myself from sight.

I think I can see Aya going around, and it looks like she's going to Myouren Temple. _If I recall correctly, I think she found out that I was there, except she didn't know it was me, and was trying to find out more._

That tengu would definitely write about this time slip thing if she knew. I wouldn't mind, as long as the thing happened after my past self went back in time first.

_So this is going to be like some game of hide and seek..._

"And who might you be?"

I freeze up, and do my best not to move. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the person who had just spoken, and curse my luck.

_Seiga. And here I thought I managed to escape her. _I think, slightly depressed. _Why would she be here anyway?_

"It's no use trying to hide. I can see your outline."

_Damn. Guess I might as well face her. _I dismiss Wavebreaker, concealing it in my hand. _Better not let her see it, since from what I know, she's a kleptomaniac like Marisa, except she's not restricted to books._

"So it is you. We met each other before, didn't we?"

"Did we?" I pretend not to know her. "I think I would have recalled seeing someone like you..."

Seiga gives me a look of amusement. "Perhaps a bit of shock might jog your memory..." She suggests.

"Who are you anyway?" I interrupt, trying to cut her off before she gets that far.

"Ah, where are my manners?" Seiga turns so that she's facing me head on, and performs a small curtsey. "My name is Seiga Kaku. I am a hermit. And who might I be speaking to?"

I incline my head in response to her greeting. "I am Ikuto. I am a human outsider who came to Gensokyo quite a while back."

"My, you claim to be a human, but you have quite the interesting set of abilities." Seiga sounds slightly doubting. "Invisibility, wind magic, earth manipulation... you're an _onmyouji_, aren't you?"

I shrug. "Who knows? What about you? What can a hermit do?"

"Hmm... that's a difficult question. Do you know what Taoism is?" Seiga asks me.

"Only the absolute basics, and that a bunch of Taoists recently appeared in Gensokyo."

"Oh? Sounds like you know more than I expected." The blue-haired woman floats closer. "Say, would you like to convert to Taoism? It might benefit your life."

"You still haven't answered my question though." I remind her.

"Ah, that's true." Seiga withdraws back. "Well, there are several mystical skills which I possess due to my Taoist faith. As you can see, I can fly." She bobs up and down to illustrate. "I've also lived a long life, and can even pass through walls."

"When you say long..."

Seiga smiles proudly. "At least a thousand years."

I can't help widening my eyes in surprise. _A thousand years? That's LONG! _"So should I call you Grandmother or something?"

That remark causes her to narrow her eyes at me. "How rude. I'm hardly wrinkled enough to be considered a grandmother."

_Better not push her too much. _"Of course not, you're very pretty."

"Why thank you." Seiga smiles, and it's a pretty smile, but I don't feel reassured by it.

_I really need to read Akyuu's notes about her... but I don't know if she's written anything yet. _"But I thought that hermits who live for a long time ascend and become Celestials?"

She raises her eyebrows in mild surprise. "How did you come to know about that? For an outsider, you're rather knowledgeable about these matters."

"I have been here for more than a year, actually." I remind her. "So I do know what hermits are in general."

"Ah, I see." Seiga nods approvingly. "Well, actually, becoming a Celestial doesn't interest me."

_That's a pretty honest admission. _"I heard the lifestyle of Celestials isn't really that fun, myself."

"Right?" She agrees cheerfully. "Humans are much more interesting."

We smile at each other, but inside I'm thinking, _Oh shit, I've got a bad feeling about this._

Suddenly she shifts backwards, avoiding a shot from below. We both look in the direction it came from, and spot the youkai responsible. It's one of those man-eaters, feral with sharp claws and teeth; I can smell the blood on it easily now that I'm focusing on it, and it's actually salivating. What's more, it's not the only one; there are others, and they're all climbing up.

I look back at Seiga, who looks at me when I start speaking. "Just so you know, I blame you for this."

With that, I jump off the tower and right down at the youkais, readying my Keyblade as I fall towards them. Behind me, I hear Seiga huff and comment on how rude I was to say that to her. _Yeah, that's right. Because hermits attract youkais who want to eat them. Seriously, she attracts trouble._

I adjust my descent with several bursts of wind to avoid the shots they're firing at me, but the moment I reach them, my fall stops abruptly, just as one of the front-liners swipe at me, the claws barely missing my face. The moment it goes past, I suddenly speed up and slam my fist into its face. With Ki added to it, the beast gets thrown back into its comrades, sending the whole bunch into a pile on the ground.

_This should be a good test on how much I polished my skills now. _I flip over to land on my feet, bending my knees to absorb the force. A quick glance upwards lets me know that Seiga is watching me. _Meh, she already knows about me anyway... Phantom Blossom, I'm counting on you._

The Keyblade shifts forms in my hand, and the keychain of the flower twinkles encouragingly.

Hours spent training with Youmu, though a long time ago, comes back to me in the heightened tension. One of the youkais makes to charge, and in a flash, I'm in front of it with my weapon slicing through its body, scattering its energy as pink petals. Since it's not as fatal as it would be with a real weapon, I follow it up with a spinning back kick to knock it away.

_Thrust! _I stab another through the head, stunning it enough to follow up with a heavy swing with Rainbow Treasury. _Home Run!_

The youkai clears the treetops with the force of the blow, and I'm fairly sure I felt something break. But there's no time to ponder it; the remainder have regrouped and are preparing to launch another assault.

_A combined attack of danmaku and physical attacks... good try. Except... _A sweep of my left hand with the runes on it glowing kicks up a huge burst of wind and dust, blinding the charging youkais, while the Keyblade changes yet again. _Reaper's Toll!_

The bullets swerve away from me, repelled by each other. I return fire with flames of my own, enhanced with Spellbinder's magical boost. It's nothing like what Patchouli Knowledge is capable of; I've seen her wield elemental magic with stunning skill, switching between attacks and defenses with barely any pause or loss in power. The most I can do is a sort of hit-and-run heavily utilizing Spellbinder's familiar key to fire and redirect the elemental attacks I'm using.

One of the more durable ones manages to weather through the barrage to attack directly, and I block it directly with Festival Horn boosting my strength, though the ground cracks beneath my feet. It cracks even further when I counter with a powerful strike to its chest, caving it in.

_Duck! _I narrowly avoid a swipe that was meant to take off my head, and stab my Keyblade into the ground. _Eternal Inheritance! _

The attacker gets launched into the sky, and I use the pommel of my weapon to support me while I kick out with Yellow Ki, cutting down another youkai. Landing back down, I grip the handle and feel it shift beneath my grip again.

I hold out my free hand in front of me. "This isn't a fight. It's... a performance!"

There are screams through the dust I've kicked up when the wires slash through, and I don't doubt that I've killed at least two of my attackers. A few bullets burst out of the dust, but they number less than ten, so I dodge them easily.

When no more youkais turn up, I realize that the remainder, which can't have been more than three, have fled, leaving behind their wounded and dead. _Doesn't look like I took any damage... _I think, checking myself over. _Guess there's no need for Blaze Revive or Burst Needle._

I dismiss my weapon and put it away just as Seiga descends down to join me.

"My, that was quite the impressive display."

I nod towards her. "Thank you."

"That's an odd weapon you wield." Seiga comments, her eyes looking at the pocket I put my key in. "Why a key?" She inquires.

"It's served me well so far." I reply cautiously. _No way you're stealing this from me!_

"So it is, so it is..." She nods in agreement, her voice trailing off as she continues to study me.

_I feel like I'm being undressed by her eyes. This is quite the role reversal here._ "Anyway, I think I better go, I have chores to do."

"Oh? And where might you be staying?" The evil hermit inquires innocently, though it doesn't fool me at all.

That's okay, because from what I know, there's no harm in telling her the truth. "Why, at Myouren Temple of course."

Damn if it isn't amusing to see her expression quickly change when she hears where I'm staying. _Guess she really doesn't like Byakuren, who promotes youkais over humans. In fact, I'd say that Seiga is more of an opposite to Byakuren than Miko._

I can see Seiga thinking, before she finally brightens up and asks me, "Say, how would you like to stay with me instead?"

"Eh?" _What did she just say?_

"You're a man, right? That means you've got desires." Seiga drifts closer, leaning forward to give me a good view of her cleavage. "And I'm sure you can't take care of them in the temple, as restrained as they are."

I back up a few steps. "Wait, are you seriously offering to-?"

She nods, smiling seductively. "Yes, I am. So how about it?" There's a note in her voice that makes me shiver in a way I haven't felt for a while.

Seiga tugs down her top slightly to show even more of the valley between her breasts. _Man, she's really good at this... Too bad I've no intention of taking her up on her invitation anytime soon._

I put my hands up in a gesture for 'stop'. "I'm sorry, but I already decided that I would stay at the temple for a certain period of time, so I cannot just up and leave..." I trail off when she suddenly pressed her large chest against my hands, one for each.

"I really can't change your mind?" Seiga tilts her head, pouting in a cute manner.

"No." I reply firmly.

"Then- Mm!" She twitches slightly, her eyes closing for a moment. "Why are your hands doing that?"

"To be honest," I point out, "You do have a very nice pair."

_Yep, even nicer than Yuugi's, or maybe Eirin's, if I say so myself._ I think as I continue to shamelessly grope her breasts.

"I could let you do this every day if you wanted." She suggests slyly.

"I'll pass."

Seiga gives me a disappointed look before withdrawing her twin treasures from my grasp, sighing as she does. "What a pity..."

I quickly check to make sure that she didn't pickpocket my key or anything, and find it still where I had left it in my pocket. "Well, I'll consider it the next time I leave. Where do you stay anyway?"

She looks at me with a studying gaze before turning away. "That's a secret."

After she leaves on her flying scarf, I start reviewing my experience with her. I aroused her interest enough that she'll definitely try to look me up again in the future, which was a mistake now that I consider it carefully. On the other hand, she seems to consider me 'corrupted' due to my staying at Myouren Temple. I'm not sure how stubborn she is, but I'm fairly sure that she'll try again to persuade me to leave the temple.

I look down at my fingers squeezing empty air. _Huh. Anyway... what should I do next?_

It takes me several minutes to come to a decision, and it's a random one that emerges from the myriad ideas my brain comes up with; since I met a hermit, I'll go see if I can find another one. Not that I expect to, but the search itself would be an adventure on its own.

_So where would a hermit be likely to be? _I ponder, climbing a tree again so as to get some height to look around. _Somewhere secluded, for sure, since hermits are often targeted by youkai as prey... even if said hermit is fully capable of self-defense._

In the end, I start looking around the Mountain, since despite its name, it's actually pretty empty of the more dangerous youkais, as the tengu manage the area quite strictly. And sure enough, I encounter a patrol about two kilometers out from the base of the mountain.

_Silence field. _I cast the spell with an overhead twirl of my finger, stepping back into the shadows as I bring out Wavebreaker to cloak my body. _Thankfully I studied this small cantrip from Patchy's books._

I make sure to erase my presence as well, since they're sensitive to such things. Still, it makes my pulse rate go up when two of the quintet pause and look around suspiciously, but eventually they carry on without investigating any further.

I can't maintain the silence field while I'm moving, and with all the leaves and twigs on the ground, walking across is going to be difficult as well, so I don't.

I use a combination of Wire Performance and Cirno's ring to swing myself in the direction I want to go, utilizing the nearly invisible tendrils to alter my trajectory as needed.

_Spider~man~ Spider~man~ Does whatever~ a spider can~_ (1) I can't help singing in my head as I swing through the trees with my feet barely brushing the grass. _Aaaand, I forgot how the rest of it goes._

I encounter, and manage to avoid another four tengu patrols, as well as several other youkais, albeit narrowly. A few times, I'm forced to use my skills to create a distraction in the other direction while I sneak away, which they thankfully fall for, but in one nerve-wracking case, I have no choice but to resort to using a mini-Burst Needle to tranquilize the youkai before he can alert the rest.

_Sorry about this. _I apologize silently as I pull the youkai out of the way of the patrol route and put him under a tree.

Luckily, it seems like the patrols only go around a set perimeter, because some distance in, the number drops off to nearly none. _The early warning group, I suppose. So there shouldn't be any more until I get on the mountain itself._

Unfortunately, my expectations of a Metal Gear Solid (2) infiltration scene gets thrown out the window when I suddenly hear a loud swooping sound. When I look up, I realize there's a giant bird coming my way, and from the looks of its eyes, it's coming for me.

"Aw, crap." I turn to run, then realize that I'm surrounded by animals.

To my left is a tiger, to my right is a dog, and behind me are a goat and a pig.

_Wait a minute... _I take a closer look at the bird, and realize that there's someone riding on it. _Huh, pink hair... who do I know has pink hair...?_

The question is answered for me when the rider suddenly jumps off the bird, and lands down in front of me with both arms thrown out behind her. Standing up, the pink-haired girl dusts herself off and waves away the animals before turning to me. A familiar-looking right arm wrapped in bandages rises up in a wave of greeting.

"Oh, if it isn't Ikuto." Kasen greets me. "What brings you out here? It's not safe to be sneaking around in a place like this, you know."

_Yeah, but I did it anyway. _"Well, I was going around looking for a hermit."

Kasen blinks in surprise. "A hermit? Why?" Before I can reply, she suddenly brightens up. "Could it be you wish to become a hermit as well? In that case, you're very much welcome!"

I open my mouth to correct her, then decide to just stay quiet and see where this takes me.

"So, I was surprised to find that you were going up the path to my residence. How did you know where it was?"

_That's one heck of a luck I have, to end up right on her front path. But is it really as amazing as she makes it out to be? _"I didn't. I was just going towards the mountain first."

She makes a sound that indicates she's impressed. "Perhaps you are more suited to this than I thought."

_I'm fairly sure you're mistaken... _"But what path is this?"

Kasen goes off into a lecture about how her home is protected by a barrier that is only accessible by following the proper route. And I just thought that it wasn't really that amazing to end up on that path; my actions to dodge the patrols had put me right where I needed to be. Weird coincidence...

But it's an impressive piece of protection, one that I can sense the power of when we get close. There's an annoying tingling around my shoulders as I follow Kasen down a route that only she's aware of, and when it finally lifts, I breathe a sigh of relief.

"We're here." Kasen announces. "This is my dojo."

Here is a fairly large Japanese-style mansion, enough for a family of ten to live in comfortably. Three levels, with a tiled roof on top. The windows are just large round holes in the wall, though I can spy wooden blinds hanging on the inside. The other noticeable thing is that the ground floor is taller compared to those above it, which probably is the reason why she calls it a dojo.

It takes me a few moments before I realize what I find odd about it; there's a perimeter around the building where there aren't any leaves. My eyes flick to a leaf that comes off a nearby tree, carried by the wind towards the building. It travels until it reaches the boundary, then it just flutters as though pushing against some unknown force while gravity continues to drag it down.

"Cleaning up must be really easy because of that."

"It is." Kasen replies.

I don't feel any pressure from whatever is keeping the leaves out when I walk past it, but there's a strong feeling of tranquility from the place.

"Come on in." The hermit invites me, and I enter the building.

Sure enough, there's a training area, but we go around it to enter a room that's clearly meant to welcome visitors. Kasen instructs me to sit down on a cushion while she goes to prepare tea. While she's gone, I take the time to study my surroundings.

_Sparsely decorated, and nothing ostentatious. Just what you would expect of a hermit. A normal hermit, _I amend, recalling Seiga. _Wouldn't be surprised if that person has a whole bunch of stolen goods around her room._

"Sorry for the wait." Kasen returns carrying a tray with two plain clay tea cups and a teapot.

"Not at all." I reply courteously.

She takes her own seat and fills a cup for me before doing the same for herself. I thank her and take a drink; it's plain, but there's a strange underlying taste that I kind of enjoy.

"How is it?" I look up at Kasen's question. She's watching me expectantly.

"It's... good, actually. Do you grow the tea leaves yourself?" The moment I ask it, I realize it's a stupid question, because there aren't any nearby tea fields.

"No, actually." Kasen replies patiently, "But I do treat them a little with magic to keep them fresh."

_Huh... come to think of it, the tea in the SDM tasted a little like this... was that actually the magic infused in it? _I take another sip to try and analyze the flavor further. "How often do you purchase tea leaves then?"

"This batch of leaves is about... ten years old?" Kasen taps her chin thoughtfully with her bandaged arm.

_I don't know much about tea other than what Sakuya told me regarding how to brew it properly, but I'm fairly sure that tea leaves can't normally be stored that long. _(3) "Wow, that's pretty old."

"Well, I'm not really a tea drinker, actually. I just keep some in case of guests."

"Then what do you normally drink?"

"Just plain water. I _am_ a hermit, after all." Kasen tells me pointedly, before continuing on in a milder tone, "But I do drink sake once in a while. Oh, don't look so surprised. With all the partying going around here, even I indulge myself sometimes."

"You have a point," I admit. "I suppose the only one who doesn't drink any is Hijiri Byakuren."

"Ah, the Buddhist monk." The pink-haired girl nods in acknowledgment. "Her dedication is admirable."

"So what's involved in being a hermit?" I finally bring up the reason I came here in the first place.

That starts her off in giving a lecture about what I would have to do if I wanted to become a hermit. Simply put, it's dedicating one's life to training; casting away one's worldly desires and devoting a large amount of the day to an ascetic practice like reciting sutras or meditating.

_Seriously not something I'm capable of... _"That sounds really hard... do you really do that every day?"

"After doing it for so long, it's not necessary for me to do so every day, but I do make sure to maintain my training." Kasen explains. "And it's because it's hard that it's worth doing."

We talk for quite a while after that about various other things; such as Miko's Senkai world for hermits (Kasen says she intends to go visit there sometime), other visitors to her home (I had no idea that Komachi comes by to chat sometimes), and the other inhabitants here (her ability to communicate with animals really helps in training them).

On that topic, we go outside so she can introduce me to some of the animals she cares for. In addition to regular animals such as monkeys, birds, and snakes, there are some creatures I consider mystical beasts, like a Raijuu that can put out electricity. She lets me feed some of them, and with her there to control them, it's like a petting zoo.

Getting to meet the baby dragon was really awesome, especially when it seems to like my petting it.

"Do you like animals?" Kasen asks me as the dragon child twines itself around my wrist.

"Somewhat. Especially when they're cuddling up like this." I rub the head of the dragon child, and it makes a contented noise in response.

"I agree." She holds out her left hand, and the dragon child goes over to wraps itself around the extended limb like it did with mine.

After that, we go back inside, and continue our conversation. One of the topics we discussed quite thoroughly was how to extend one's lifespan in Gensokyo. The few methods I can name off the top of my head are becoming a magician like Alice is, letting Remilia turn me into a vampire, taking an immortality drug made by Eirin, or becoming a hermit. Most of them, or I suppose all of them, involves giving up on being human.

_So humanity is linked with mortality, you could say, _I pause for a moment to think after listing them out for Kasen to hear.

"There are a few other ways, but you covered most of the conventional means."

_There are enough ways to become immortal that some of them are considered conventional? What are the unconventional ways then? _

Kasen goes on, "The problem of extending your lifespan is that it goes against the balance. And it will try to correct the balance."

"A shinigami, right?" I think I heard about this from Komachi before. "And if you want to continue living, you have to beat them?"

"Nearly correct." Kasen nods to me. "The truth is, it's something worse than a shinigami."

She refuses to say anything more on what it is, and after trying a few more times, I give up and return back to the subject of extending one's lifespan. Kasen tells me about things like breathing and moving exercises, but those take quite a long time to show any effect.

Kasen passes on the news that she saw Marisa performing a strange physical exercise outside her house, something that would extend her life slightly if she kept it up, but not to the point of nigh immortality. It's something to ask Marisa about when I see her next... except with how often she goes to the SDM, she'll definitely ask questions.

_I seriously can NOT wait for that time to come. _I gripe in my head, drinking from the tea cup again.

Eventually, it gets late and the time comes for me to leave. Kasen courteously offers to send me back to Myouren Temple by letting me ride on a giant eagle, which she calls down once we're outside the mansion. It takes a while before I get the hang of riding it, though. It's only through the reflexes ingrained by my training that I'm able to flip around in the air so that I don't land on my head when I fall or get thrown off because I did something the bird didn't like.

But I get the hang of it in the end, and soon enough I'm on my way back to my current place of residence.

_I wonder if I should go stay with Kasen... Naaah, seems like too much trouble. _

I don't know whether the eagle could read my mind, or if it was just pissed at me for being such a troublesome rider, but instead of descending and letting me off, it simply executed a barrel roll over Myouren Temple to drop me from at least eighty meters up.

"Screw you too!" I call back at its retreating form before activating my slow fall.

* * *

><p>(1) Catchy tune from the Spiderman cartoons. Some things just stick in your head.<p>

(2) An action-stealth adventure game made by Hideo Kojima under Konami, with several games in the series. Great series to play, yeah.

(3) With the exception of certain types that actually increase in quality over time, such as pu-erh, most tea leaves can be kept for about 1-2 years.

Well, that's another update done. Yeah, it's a bit of an anticlimatic reveal of who the armored guy actually was, but I was feeling kind of ill when I wrote that part, and I don't feel like I could do a better job of writing it out.

Haiz... looking back, it feels like I'm missing something in my mood compared to when I first started out. I think it's because I'm a working adult now, compared to the student I was when this fic first began. Real life and Gensokyo... do not mix, that's what I think.

I don't really have much to say here, other than to repeat the 'RL sucks' thing.

Probably will see how my muse is up to providing material for FateProphecy Break. So yeah, updates will be rare. Sorry.


	59. Chapter 58: Problematic Discovery

_It's really remarkable what being bored will do for you. _I muse as I read the Bunbunmaru while sitting on a cushion next to a door that opens onto the garden.

A few days ago, I started experimenting with some of my Keyblades' abilities, to see if I could develop them further in some way. One of the things I found out was that Wavebreaker could do more than just camouflage; it could actually change my appearance a little. Combine that with a mini Wire Performance to provide some structural foundation, and I can disguise myself pretty effectively.

Which is why I'm sitting less than twenty meters away from Aya, who's here yet again trying to find out more about the mysterious guest of Myouren Temple, a.k.a. me. In this case, my disguise is an old man who's just here to spend time at Byakuren's invitation.

_I'm surprised that my disguise is this convincing though... She didn't even notice when I asked her for a copy of her newspaper. _I turn to the next page, and spot a small note that mentions the outsider Ikuto was currently staying with Remilia Scarlet. _Then again, maybe she already noticed, but thinks that I'm just sneaking out from the mansion._

I don't recall if Aya gave any clue when she dropped by the mansion in the past though, plus she didn't really come that often once she started investigating the mystery guest.

But back to what I was thinking about before I go any further off-track. I was bored, I discovered a new aspect of my borrowed powers by combining two of them, and I decided to make use of it by stalking Aya whenever she comes by.

Something's definitely wrong with me.

"The fight is over!" Byakuren announces, raising her hand up in the air. "Winner, Ichirin Kumoi!"

"Ayayaaa... guess I'll have to withdraw for today..." Aya quirks her mouth ruefully, looking a little battered after her duel.

Naturally, Aya's constant attempts have garnered the irritation of the temple's inhabitants, so she ends up having to fight for her right to stay whenever she comes. Being a tengu, her fighting ability is top-notch; speed, power and accuracy, she's got all of them.

So how did she lose? The answer lies with me. After I started observing Aya's fights, I noticed several patterns to her movements. I ended up giving into my wish to see her lose, and started training the others to adapt to Aya's movements. Needless to say, it's been paying off.

"I'll come again tomorrow~" Aya waves cheerily and flies off.

"Don't." Ichirin grumbles.

With the tengu gone, I abandon my disguise and pick up the tray that's nearby. I load it up with cups of water, as well as a wet towel that I use my magic to warm up. Once that's done, I emerge out onto the field and make my way over to Ichirin. I make use of Wavebreaker to change my appearance so that I look like I'm wearing a butler suit, with the tray balanced perfectly on the fingers of one hand. Thanks to my training under Sakuya, I might not one hell of a butler (1), but I'm a pretty good one nonetheless.

"Here, have a hot towel." I hand her the towel for her to wipe off the sweat. "My thanks for chasing her off for me."

Ichirin smothers a laugh at the cultured manner I'm putting on. "Thanks." She takes the offered item from me. "And no need to thank me, you're also partially responsible for it."

I chuckle as I hand her a cup of water to drink."Haha, I guess so."

Next to us, Byakuren's smiling as she watches the two of us get along. I turn to her and offer her a cup as well, which she accepts gratefully. I offer one to the observing Murasa too, but she declines it. It doesn't seem I'll get any more entertainment out of playing the butler, so I let the mini Keyblade fade, and the glamour along with it. Taking Murasa's cup for myself, I tuck the empty tray under my arm.

"Well, time for an after-action review, shall we?"

Byakuren and Murasa head off to take care of other stuff, leaving me with Ichirin. The two of us sit on the veranda, looking out over the area where she had been having a spell card duel with Aya. I break down the patterns that she used, manipulating my ice crystals to provide illustrations. Unzan hangs around behind us watching over our shoulders, since the two of them are battle partners.

"So, when she dodges to the side, like here, you should move over to these points in quick succession while you are using that pattern, which will corner her." I explain.

"Oh, I see... that's very interesting. I'll try that out next time." Ichirin nods.

Lately, my relationship with this youkai has been improving quite well. After we finish going through Aya's movement patterns, the topic moves on to other things. Before she became a youkai, she was a human, so her personality has quite a lot of human-like qualities. It makes her easier to talk to compared to someone like Nazrin, for example.

"You're getting really good with your control of your own magic now." Ichirin comments, watching me as I play around with the ice crystals.

"It's all about practicing regularly. The affinity does help, though."

I cause one crystal to break up into smaller shards, which I then manipulate to form the shape of a human figure. There are about fifty different pieces, and I can move them all in concert to make it look like an actual marionette.

"I learned some of this from Alice, you know." I make the ice doll fly up to sit on my shoulder. "Without what I know, I'll probably be stuck to moving the whole block of ice as it is."

"You mean Alice Margatroid? I've met her before." Ichirin stares at the doll, which waves to her on my command. "Her skill with all those dolls is incredible."

"I know, right? It takes a lot of concentration for me just to move one doll this smoothly, but she can do it better with dozens of them."

On a whim, I break some of the bigger pieces up further, and shape them into two rings and a skirt. It's obvious to anyone who knows her that I'm trying to make it look like Ichirin.

Even as she watches, I make the figure go through the motions Ichirin does when she's fighting; attacking with the rings, dodging, flying... then feeling a bit mischievous, I make it act in more normal ways, such as praying, walking, sitting down, and other stuff.

"What do you think?"

"That's... a very good imitation of how I act. You must have watched quite closely..." Ichirin comments.

"Well, it was interesting to watch." I reply, glancing at her. _Wait, why's she blushing?_

Over in a corner, Unzan is drifting around unconcernedly, leaving me and Ichirin sharing this moment in private. Feeling a bit shy, I glance away, but when I look back, her position is somehow slightly closer now.

"Say," I start uncomfortably, "Since you've been helping me a lot so far, how about I treat you to a meal in the village?"

"Eh?" She's surprised by the sudden invitation. "U-um, that's alright, you don't need to..."

"No, really, I'll feel bad otherwise." I insist, turning to face her.

"We-well, if you say so..." Ichirin trails off, not meeting my eyes. "I'll go with you."

"Okay then-"

The next moment, I dive out of the way to avoid being impaled by a trident falling from above.

"Tch!" I hear my attacker grumble over her failed attempt.

"Nue!" Ichirin exclaims.

If there's one youkai that doesn't like the idea of me staying at Myouren Temple, it would be Nue. It's not just because of how I overpowered her when we first met, but for some reason, I can somehow perceive through her ability to make things unidentifiable. It's not a complete nullification of her power, as I hadn't noticed her hiding above me until she attacked, but it's enough to piss her off.

"Ho~ Come to try your luck again?" I taunt her.

"Kiii!" Nue hisses at me, pulling her weapon free and turning it towards me. "I don't care how long it'll take, I'll get you eventually!"

"Well then, let's see if today's your lucky day!"

And she takes that anger out against me. Byakuren tried to put a stop to it at first, but I persuaded her to just let it slide, since Nue's more receptive to the others after we've had our now regular fights.

"Excuse me, you two..." Someone interrupts, drawing our attention.

Ichirin is clutching her rings tightly, trembling. What I didn't expect was that she was wet; apparently when I dodged, the cup of water was knocked flying by Nue's attack, and its contents splashed over her. Unzan is already forming up behind her, and he doesn't look pleased either.

"TAKE IT OUTSIDE!"

As I and Nue get punted over the wall, the only thought going through my head is: _What's she mad about?_

Once Nue reasserts control over her body's momentum, she comes straight for me. I activate my glide, and swerve out of the way. Naturally, it starts a game of chase as I lead her away from the temple, twisting and dropping to avoid her attempts to give me three new breathing holes. Whenever my altitude dips too low, I let myself drop so I can kick off the ground once more.

Eventually, we reach a clearing in the forest, and I perform one last backflip to dodge Nue's attempt to grab me, landing right in the center.

"Finally given up?" She asks threateningly. "Then-"

"Let's get started." I pull out my key and manifest my Keyblade.

"Hah! I'll beat you for sure this time!"

_Oi, just how many times have you said that already? _I lunge forward, and thrust Phantom Blossom at her face.

It's an attack I have been starting with nearly every time, and it wasn't done at my full speed either, so she brings up her trident and intercepts it. Nue smirks, and disengages with a spray of danmaku. Already expecting something like that, I leap back the same time she does, and steal the speed of the bullets with Sakuya's Keyblade, creating a gap for me to dodge through.

A flick of my wrist spawns two ice daggers in my hand, which I fling at the youkai. Nue ducks under the first and spins away from the second, before countering with more danmaku. I defend against those with a summoned earth wall, which I then demolish to launch boulders at her.

"Too slow!" Nue soars upwards, out of my effective range.

_She's getting the hang of it, huh. _I summon out Sky's Embrace and begin darting all around the entire clearing, building up the energy charge. At the same time, I'm grazing her bullets, making it seem like I'm being harassed by the intensity. _Let's see if she falls for this..._

Nue does fall for it; she descends closer, tightening up the pattern her bullets are forming. That's when I spring the trap.

A quick switch over to Spellbinder, and the familiar key darts to the side, approaching Nue through a roundabout route. Her attention focused upon me, she doesn't realize the danger until she's suddenly soaked by a spray of water.

"Kyah- Glbrbuh!" Nue throws her arms up to shield her face, so I alter the stream of water to aim an accurate squirt right into her mouth.

While she's still recovering, I call Iku's Keyblade out again, and unleash all the pent-up energy in a single bolt of lightning. Perhaps sensing it somehow, Nue dodges hard to the left, but I alter the bolt's course to intercept her. It strikes perfectly.

"GYAAAAAAH!"

I wince at the sound, even though I know very well that it wasn't that serious. Youkais are a hardy bunch, and even if Nue looks like a young girl, she's centuries old, and has quite a lot of fighting experience. Which means she knows how to take a hit.

I quickly dive aside to avoid a huge bullet that rips a crater into the ground where I was standing. _And knows how to give one, too._

"That... HURT!" Nue screams, turning around to dash at me again.

_Enemy Nue is enraged! Enemy Nue has increased attack status! _(2) I parry her stabs furiously, wincing at the force behind them. _Based on the last time this happened, she can keep up this pace for another few minutes, so I need to increase my defense or dodge if I want to get through this._

I sidestep an excited thrust, and grab the handle of her trident with my free hand. Before she can react, I toss her into a spin with some application of Purple Ki, switch over to Meiling's Keyblade in my other hand. The look on her face when she sees me winding up with the heavy weapon practically screams 'OH SHIT'; if not for the amount of focus I was putting into the strike, I might have laughed.

"BAM!" I yell out as my weapon makes contact with her midriff.

Nue goes flying across the clearing, but I don't relax; not only did I make that strike slow enough that she could block it, but I also infused it with Green Ki so as to send her flying rather than cause damage. Sure enough, her next move involves red UFOs, which my eyes manage to pick out as oddly colored snakes twined around stones and pieces of wood. Despite their appearance, those things are still able to fire bullets at me.

_Channel Purple Ki, and activate! _I maintain my position and begin deflecting the homing shots away from me.

"Come on, is this the best you can do?" I call out to her.

This time, she sends out waves of snakes, which move around in a slithery motion that seems confusing at first, but is easy to avoid at the long distance we're keeping each other. It's not until lasers suddenly start shooting at me that I realize she was using them to hide the fact that she was calling out blue UFOs.

"Heh, how about that, huh? But that's not all!" Nue calls back.

The blue UFOs are joined by green ones, which spam laser bullets to a ridiculous degree. I end up having to use my Orange Ki shield to block them directly, those that I can't dodge myself. By spellcard rules, this sort of thing is definitely illegal, but I think I pissed Nue off enough that she doesn't care. And now she's cloaking everything in a black fog, reducing my field of vision to nearly zero.

Too bad for her I know what she's going to do. I close my eyes, which are pretty much useless under her fog's effect, and extend out my radar sense. To my surprise, she's already quite close; her weapon is already within a meter of me. If I had been any slower in activating the radar, she might have actually managed to stab me.

"Die!" The trident goes through where my head would be if I hadn't leaned it to the side instinctively.

_Calling out like that really doesn't help you when you're trying to do a sneak attack... _I turn towards Nue's position, only to realize something else. _Too close!_

Let it be known that the accidental kiss isn't really nice when one of the two sides involved is moving at a very high speed, fast enough to cause the teeth to knock together. In addition to that, the force at which she hits me is enough to knock me off my feet, which causes me to wrap my arms around her body automatically. And when our joined bodies hit the ground, the back of my head hits something hard, which once again causes my teeth to hit something; it's like everything hurts.

_Ow. Ow, ow, ow... _I reach up to cup my mouth, only to find something wet and hairy in the way. _What's this thing that's between my hand and my mouth? It's pressing against my mouth too... _I stick my tongue out tentatively.

There's something soft and wet inside whatever's covering my mouth, and it reacts when I press my tongue against it. I don't know why, but I feel like I should do this and that to it with my tongue, which somehow causes the thing to react by squirming slightly.

Then my brain reboots, and I realize that I'm smooching Nue, who is just as surprised as I am.

"MMMM!" She starts flailing about, and I quickly release her.

It's amazing how fast we spring apart after that, and in her haste, Nue trips and falls over backward onto her butt.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to..." I trail off as my dropped gaze catches sight of something incredible.

When Nue fell over, she ended up with her legs spread slightly, and with her short dress, it means that I've got a full view of what's underneath. Contrary to my expectations, it's not any conventional form of underwear. However, I've seen something like it before, in an anime.

_Woah, an actual Echidna-type underwear. _(3)

Nue notices where my gaze is directed, and quickly closes her legs, but her face is extremely red. That's when we both notice something else; because of my water attack earlier, her clothes are now sticking to her body, clearly showing off her modest curves.

"Ah, ah, ah... aaaaAAAAHHH!" She suddenly bursts upwards flying. "I'LL REMEMBER THIIIIISSS!"

I stare after her, struck dumb by the sheer coincidence of it all. A few seconds after she's gone from sight, a painful twinge reminds me of my own injury, and I give myself a quick dose from Burst Needle to speed up my healing.

_Well, that was weird. _I think after my injury has recovered. _Now what do I do? Go back to the temple?_

"U~RA~ME~SHI~YA~!" Kogasa suddenly pops out from above me, upside down. Her wide eyes and stuck-out tongue add a whole new degree to the surprise factor.

"HOLY SHIT!" I leap back automatically, but I manage to stop myself before I end up hitting her with my Keyblade.

"Eh?" Kogasa blinks, then suddenly breaks out into a huge grin. "YES! I did it! I managed to surprise you!"

"Haa..." I sigh, my heart rate starting to go down. "Yes, you did." _I can't believe she actually surprised me._

I had been so focused on the fight with Nue that I neglected to pay attention to my surroundings, plus the concussion didn't help things either. Besides, Kogasa's sneaking skills were pretty poor in the first place, so all in all, I feel really dumb having her get the drop on me.

"Whoops." Kogasa flips around the right side up.

"Where did you come from, anyway?" I ask irritably.

"Well~ I was sitting around the graveyard thinking about how I could surprise someone, when I heard some shouting, then saw you and that weird girl getting thrown out of the temple. I wondered if something was up, so I decided to take a look, but you were so fast that I nearly lost you. If not for the sounds you were making, I think I really might have."

_Wow, she really chatters on. Is it because she succeeded in surprising someone?_ I think as I wait for a chance to speak.

In fact, even as Kogasa is speaking, she's dancing around, a wide smile on her face. The tongue on her umbrella is wagging happily as well.

"Well, I didn't see how the fight went, but I thought it was kind of strange how the two of you were hugging each other like that. Is that some kind of grappling move?" Kogasa gives me a quizzical look. "Anyway, I thought that since you weren't paying attention, maybe I could surprise you. And it worked!"

"Yes, yes, well done..." _No point getting mad at her. It's just what she does. _

"Eh?"

"What?" I suddenly realize that Kogasa had paused her celebration for some reason.

"Just now... you said 'well done'.." The small youkai's tone gives away her shock.

"Ahh... that, huh?" I scratch my head, then decide to just go with it. "Well, you did surprise me, so that deserves some praise." I pat her head.

"..." Kogasa doesn't react, but a blush crosses her face.

_...did I just raise a flag? _I wonder, but I continue patting her head.

In the end, I end up giving her more advice on how to better go about in surprising people, as well as warning her to be careful about who she targets. Kogasa thanks me fervently, enough that I feel kind of embarrassed myself, before flying off somewhere to try out what I told her.

"That was very nice of you, Ikuto."

_Wha- Goddamn it, someone else approached without me noticing for the second time?! _I turn around slowly, since I recognized the voice. "Byakuren-san, I didn't expect you to be here." _She's not alone though, but the other person doesn't seem to want to join in yet._

Byakuren steps out from behind a tree, her presence now registering on my senses as she releases whatever technique she was using to repress it. She starts walking closer towards me.

"I was worried about you and that child, so I came along to keep an eye on you two."

The part 'and stop the both of you if necessary' went unsaid, but I can tell even through the faint smile on Byakuren's face.

_Should I start referring to her as Theresa? _(4) _She certainly does seem to fit the image. _"Well, things kind of got a bit messy towards the end... did you see?" The nervous question drops out as I recall the incident.

Her smile widens as she continues to approach. "Yes."

_Oh shit, it would not have looked good from her point of view. _A chill runs down my back, and I prepare myself for one of Byakuren's mild lectures. _Not on the level of what Eiki's would be, according to Komachi, but she's like the master of the guilt-trip._

"It's good to see the two of you getting along so well." Byakuren stops in front of me and clasps her hands in front of her body.

_Then again, she really believes in the good in others. _I smile back at her. _If only there were more of her, the world would be a better place. _"I think she might disagree with you about that, though."

Byakuren laughs, a pretty sound. "I suppose you may be right about that." Turning around, she calls out behind her, "What are you standing all the way back there for, Shou? Come on closer."

"If that's what you want, Hijiri-san." The tiger youkai finally approaches from where I had sensed her earlier. "Good afternoon to you, Ikuto-san."

"Good afternoon, Shou-san." I look between the both of them. "Are you two going visiting?"

"No, we're just taking a walk." Byakuren replies.

"Ah." _She doesn't have her straw hat with her. _I notice."Any destination in particular?"

"Nowhere in particular, but you're welcome to join us."

"If you don't mind my presence," I accept her invitation.

The rest of the day passes peacefully in the company of those two. It appears that Shou is doing her best to maintain a dignified appearance in front of me and Byakuren, but other than that, she does actively take part in the conversation. Still, she does slip up a few times, which shows a different side of her. Looking at Shou using her spear as a walking stick is kind of amusing to me, for some reason.

After a while, Ichirin comes by to call Byakuren back for something happening at the temple. She gives me a stern look, but I'm clueless about what she means by it. Shou offers to go back as well, only for Byakuren to tell her to stay and get to know me better.

The other meaning of Byakuren's words brings up imagery in my mind. _I really need to get my urges under control... _I look away from where Shou is bidding farewell to the other two, feeling a blush on my face.

"Soooo~..." I finally ask. "What now?"

"Continue the walk... I guess?" Shou sounds uncertain.

"Guess so." We continue onwards for a bit. "Since Byakuren's not here... want to talk about your favorite drink?"

As it turns out, she does have quite a lot to say on that matter. On my end, my friendship with Boss and Suika gives me a good deal of knowledge as well. What I didn't expect was her suddenly pulling out a small bottle from a pocket and taking a swig from it before offering it to me.

_Well, drinking buddies is a good step to progress to next. _I take a sip of the drink. "Mm! This is pretty strong." _Even by oni standards._

"I like it that way, actually." Shou confesses as she takes back the bottle for another drink.

Just as I smile at her, I feel an odd tingling in the air, as though something just passed out from my body. _What was that? Is Yukari peeping on me or something?_

"Um..." Shou's mumble breaks me out of my thoughts, and I notice that she's quite flushed.

"Woah, this drink really is something..." I blurt out. "Are you okay? You seem kind of..."

The tiger youkai twitches, then tucks away the bottle. "I-I'm fine. But I should go back."

She gives me an oddly familiar look, before flying off in the direction of the temple. I'm left bewildered at this turn of events, but eventually I decide that she probably has her own issues to handle, and doesn't need me butting into them.

* * *

><p>"So, why is <em>this<em> guy here?" The person next to me asks her shogi partner as she indicates me with a pointed finger.

"Well," Nitori responds awkwardly, "He came by my place to discuss some invention ideas, and the topic of shogi came up..."

"I've honestly never seen a match of shogi." I admit to Momiji Inubashiri, who is currently glaring at me. "I did play some chess while I was at the mansion- the one in the middle of the lake," I explain to her, "But other than that, I didn't really play that many games."

Momiji glowers at me, but thankfully she doesn't kick me out. Instead, she just hands me a tea set with a look that says 'make yourself useful'. So I make tea, and serve it to them.

As much as I'd like to ask them to teach me, the amount of concentration the white wolf tengu is focusing on the game makes the air tense. _Well, let's just see how much I can pick up from watching._

Evidently, the pieces are: King, Rook, Bishop, Gold General, Silver General, Knight, Lance, and Pawn. That much is obvious as they have the text on them.

Of those, the movements of the King, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn are same as normal chess, so I focus on the remaining three pieces. Given that both players take a while to consider before making their moves, it takes me quite a while to figure out what are the possible movements those three pieces can make.

Lance pieces, just as their name suggests, can only move forward, but is unlimited in length. Basically, a Rook that can only advance. As for the two Generals, both can advance into any of the three spaces in front of it, but while the Gold one can move to the sides and back, the Silver cannot do the same, only able to retreat in a diagonal manner. It takes me a while to figure those two out, since their first match was played aggressively by both sides, thus I didn't realize their different retreat patterns until the second match.

In the short interval in between matches, I take the opportunity to ask and confirm my guesses, and find out that I'm right. It's nothing to celebrate about, but I feel slightly good about myself.

As they start on the third match, I turn my attention to the promoting part. Unlike Western chess, the pieces can promote once they are within the last three rows on the opposite end, which is the same area occupied by the enemy pieces at the start. However, other than that, both players play the game well enough that promotion rarely comes into play for the pieces I'm interested in.

_Wow... this is... kind of... boring. _I glance at Momiji's frowning face, keeping it short so I don't distract her. _She really looks kind of cute with the way her brow's all furrowed up._

I purse my lips and blow a small puff at her wolf ears, which flick irritably, but Momiji doesn't react otherwise. Not wanting to push things any further, I look elsewhere.

Nitori's kind of quirky in the way she never puts down her backpack, even though she's sitting down playing shogi. Then again, it's more a matter of convenience; when the teapot has cooled off, she simply pulls out a tool to boil more water and hands it to me... using a mechanical hand from the backpack instead of her own hands.

_Mad scientist stereotype, I would say... if not for the fact that pretty much the entire group of kappas act just the same. _That said, I haven't really interacted with any other kappa other than Nitori in a normal manner. _Maybe I should ask her to introduce me to some of her friends?_

As I continue to watch these two play, my mind starts to wander. It starts with about how I don't feel like interrupting just so I can do something to keep myself awake, which then goes on to a short reminiscence about how I used to have trouble staying awake during early morning lectures back in university, which I don't miss in the least, then to wondering about how Iku would deal with this sort of situation given her ability, which goes on to what sort of stuff me, Iku and Komachi would do...

_Huh... when did Momiji and Nitori dress like that...? Sleeveless and short skirts... and was their chests that big? Well, it does look good on them... _

_Momiji picks up a piece, bringing her hand near her face as she contemplates where to move it. Her lips look very plump and pink, like she applied lip gloss. She places it down, taking one of Nitori's pieces._

_The kappa takes her cap off and fans herself with it, shaking her head slightly, causing her twin tails to shine enticingly in the sunlight. As she dons her cap back on, I see two evident clues that she forgot to put on her bra. It's almost impossible to see the key she usually carries around, though._

"Hey, Ikuto." There's a nudge from my right.

I jolt straight upright and look around quickly. "What?!"

Nitori is looking at me with amusement on her face, while Momiji wears a disapproving expression. _Oh. Oh, crap. I ended up dozing off from watching their game. _

"Really, how disgraceful." The wolf tengu frowns at me. "You can't let your guard down like this around this place."

"Sorry." I bow my head.

"If a dangerous youkai catches you like that, you'll be done for."

"Sorry." My head goes lower.

"And if the superiors catches you like that, it means punishment duty."

"Sorry." _Wait, what?_

As Momiji continues to lecture me in a manner reminiscent of Shikieiki, her words give me an insight into her character. She's quite focused on personal responsibility, but it seems like she has a kind side that shows concern for others. Part of me wonders if she's secretly jealous about the fact that I can just fall asleep so nonchalantly because I don't have a job to perform like she does.

_Oh my God... I'm a NEET... wait, I'm technically still in training, so that doesn't entirely apply to me, right? _Then I notice something odd as I peek upwards slightly. _Both of them are blushing a little... but why?_

The way the two of them are fidgeting, and the scent that I can smell from them when I use Ki to enhance my senses, it's a state I'm familiar with, having experienced it on quite a number of girls whose Keyblades I have. The weird thing about it is that they shouldn't be reacting like this in the first place, especially for someone like Momiji, who has practically no reason to like me.

_Okay, this is definitely strange, and I'm quite sure it's something that I'm the cause of. _I continue to nod contritely in response to Momiji's speaking, and use that to check myself over.

At first I don't detect anything, but then I realize that the usual magic emanations that I'm putting out have something else mixed in with them. But before I can properly identify what's causing it, Momiji notices that I'm not giving her my full attention and whacks me on the head.

"Ow!"

"Are you listening to me?!" She says crossly.

Thankfully, Nitori intercedes for me. "Momiji-san, I think that's enough already, don't you think?"

Huffing, the wolf tengu lets me off with one last reprimand, and turns back to her game, which concludes after another six turns. Rather than go another round, the two youkais decide to end things there for now, and I accompany Nitori back to her lab. A propeller comes out of the top of her backpack to serve as a flight system, while a cable from a side pocket drags my slow-falling self along.

"So, what do you think?" The kappa asks me.

_That's a remarkably open-ended question. What exactly is she asking about? The shogi game? Or the players? _"Well, I thought it was kiiiind of interesting... maybe I need to see more."

Nitori doesn't reply right away. "Well, you're welcome to come again." She finally says.

She lands outside the entrance to her lab, and turns to me after releasing me from the cable. Judging from the look she's giving me, it doesn't seem like she wants my company right now. At first, it doesn't make sense to me, but then I finally click as to the reason why.

"Ah, you have some invention to test?" I ask her.

Nitori blushes a little, but nods. "It's something that has to be done alone."

I nod back solemnly. "Well then, I'll just leave you to it."

If anything, she goes even pinker, and flees into the privacy of her lab.

_Better not waste any more time here. _I look up at the thankfully empty sky. _It was a bit of a risk going where Aya could have seen me, but I think I've pushed my luck enough._

Once I'm under moderate cover, I go back to analyzing the problem I noticed earlier. Without any interruptions this time, it doesn't take long for me to narrow down the reason. But there's a difference between knowing the reason and believing it.

_Goddammit, Koakuma, did you give me some kind of succubus STD? Now I'm like some kind of pseudo-incubus that's influencing the opposite sex into arousal. Is that even possible?_

I used to think that the power that allowed me to get new Keyblades for forming close bonds with other girls was just that, with no extra strings attached. Then something like this pops up, when I least expect it.

_Then again, Spellbinder represents my bond with Patchy, not Koa. Koa was an extra during that time... and I have no idea how she affected the whole thing. _I ruffle my hair in irritation as I bring out the Keyblade in question to examine. _Dammit, if possible, I would go to Patchy for answers, but I can't do that because my past self is there. Just how long more do I have to keep hiding? Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about that, I have a current problem to solve!_

It takes me a while before I finally come up with an idea; my mind keeps going off on a tangent, like wondering how this was going to affect everyone else I was in contact with, or whether it did anything for my physical abilities. However, it wasn't really much of an idea, since my lack of knowledge on that issue meant that I should ask someone for help, and the list was quite limited.

I considered Alice for a moment, since she's a magician and she was somewhat alone, allowing me to avoid a paradox. On the other hand, I can imagine just what she would do once she finds out about this new change in me. Things probably wouldn't get solved anytime soon.

I attempted to contact Yukari by calling out to her, but there was no response. Just as well, since I have a feeling she would hold it over my head as a favor owed to her, and I really don't like having that sort of thing happen to me. The Moriya Shrine goddesses were also candidates, except there's no easy way for me to get up the mountain without being turned back by the tengu.

Byakuren would certainly help, even if her magical knowledge is more about buffing physical abilities, but I don't feel comfortable bringing this issue up in front of others, especially since it's hard to get her alone. So that left...

_In the end, it's the Taoists I'm going to for help, huh... _I stab ineffectively at the air in front of me with Spellbinder, trying to replicate the way I got out of Senkai before. _But how the hell do I open the path there?_

I start saying random phrases with each stab. "Open. _Da kai_. Warp. Open sesame. _Aparturum. Mellon_." (5) With each failed attempt, I focus more and more of my attention on making that crack in the air.

"Um, what are you doing?" I hear a guy's voice from just behind me.

"HOLY SHIT!" _Didn't pay attention again!?_

I try to jump away, spin to see who had spoken, adopt a fighting stance, and swing my weapon around to put it in between us, all at the same time. All this combines to cause me to trip over my own feet and fall, the Keyblade in my hand sweeping out in a wild swing which hits something.

"OOF!" Unexpectedly, I didn't land on grass, but on hard stone.

"What the- he disappeared?! Was he a youkai?!" The voice I heard just now exclaims in shock and fear. "Th-this place is strange! I-I'm not staying here any longer!"

There's the sound of footsteps on grass fading into the distance, but when I look around, there's nobody who could have made that sound. Not only that, but somehow I had entered Senkai; I was no longer in the forest, but the cloudy dimension Miko made for hermits. On closer examination, there's that crack in the air less than a meter away, but it repairs itself into nothingness even as I watch.

_I really hope I don't have to trip anytime I want to enter or leave by my own power... it seriously sucks. _I turn towards the temple, which was already completed. _Would be funny if my password to come here was 'Holy shit' though. _

Stifling a chuckle at that thought, I start walking towards the temple. There doesn't seem to be any door guard; I doubt Miko would approve of Yoshika standing guard anyway, if that _jiangshi_ even goes anywhere Seiga doesn't want her to go. That said, now that I'm paying attention, I can tell that there are quite a number of people inside, mainly because most of them possess more power than the average human.

_Were there really this many hermits hidden around Gensokyo? Who are the normal ones I can barely sense anyway? Hmm, maybe ordinary people who just stumbled in here. I should ask Miko or Futo if that's even possible... _Pausing in front of the gates, I look up and whistle appreciatively at the characters naming the place 'Divine Spirit Mausoleum'. _Well, this is quite an impressive building. More eye-grabbing than Myouren Temple, that's for sure._

The gate itself has three tiers of roofs, with the carvings of mythical creatures such as dragons and phoenixes perched at the corners. On either side are two pagoda towers, three levels high; I can sense a few hermits inside both of them, possibly meditating or doing other hermit-y stuff.

Seeing no point in hesitating outside any longer, I head for the doors and push them open. They don't make much noise moving, which is kind of disappointing to me for some reason.

Contrary to my hopes, the receiving party isn't Futo, but a ghost in a green dress. There's a lack of legs due to her ghostly nature, leaving only two milky white tails poking out from beneath the hem of her dress, but the rest of her looks human enough. On closer look, her hair and eyes are green as well.

_Ah, Tojiko, that's her name. I seem to recall from Touhou lore that she's at odds with Futo. I wonder... is her dress style some kind of statement against Futo? She's all one color, while Futo has different colored ribbons decorating each limb... Meh, for now, let's just greet her first._

"Greetings. I come in peace. Take me to your leader." I recite the first thing that comes to mind, which doesn't sound all that smart once it's left my mouth.

Naturally, Tojiko doesn't take it well. "Hah? Are you taking me for a fool? Name yourself!"

_Oh crap, she's setting off my danger senses, really bad degree. _"Pardon my rudeness. I am called Ikuto." I bow formally. "I seek to have an audience with Toyosatomimi no Miko."

"For what purpose?" Tojiko demands.

"I was referred by the one known as Motohage no Futo." (6) I raise my head as I say this so I can catch her reaction.

There's a barely restrained snicker, before the ghost reasserts herself. "Impudence," Despite her words, her tone doesn't reflect that much anger. "My colleague's name is Mononobe no Futo."

"Sorry, I bit my tongue." I lie automatically. "Might I know your name?"

"Soga no Tojiko." Tojiko's reply is short; she's getting over her amusement at the joke I made at Futo's expense. "So you desire to meet the Crown Princess."

"Yes."

"Very well, I shall convey you to her. Follow me."

She turns and floats away, heading deeper into the temple, and I trail along behind her, observing my surroundings. The interior architecture is just as ostentatious as the outside, which doesn't seem to match the image of a hermit's refuge.

_Separation from worldly desires and such. Well, if anyone's responsible for this... _My eyes flicker towards where Tojiko is leading me. _It's got to be her._

After another two minutes of walking- or floating in Tojiko's case, my ghost guide knocks on the ornate door we arrived at.

"Your Grace, there is someone who wishes to speak with you."

"Enter." Miko's muffled voice orders from within.

Tojiko pushes the door open and enters, directing me to follow with a look over her shoulder. As I step over the doorsill, my attention is drawn to a familiar purple cloak hanging nearby. The inside is quite well-decorated, and the inhabitant herself is seated on top of a raised platform, leaning to the side with one elbow on a red armrest while the other hand holds a sake dish. In front of her is a tray with a jar on it, and my trained nose catches the scent of alcohol coming from it.

Miko perks up at the sight of me. "Well, this is a surprise! Welcome, Ikuto."

"'ello." Momentarily forgetting about Tojiko's presence, I wave to her flippantly.

The hermit chuckles, and beckons to me. "Come, join me for a drink. Tojiko, fetch him another jar and dish."

Tojiko bows in acknowledgment and leaves, shooting me a glare on the way out. Shrugging, I make my way up onto the platform, shedding my footwear before stepping onto it. As I sit down, Miko cocks her head curiously at me.

"Interesting... truly interesting..."

"What is?" I ask, though I'm pretty sure I know the answer. _As long as Satori's words weren't a lie..._

"I can tell you seek my aid, but there's quite the difference compared to our last meeting." Miko scrutinizes me. "Never would have thought a person could change this much. No wonder I have trouble reading your past and future."

"But the present is no problem?" I inquire.

"Hardly." She refills her dish.

Tojiko returns with the requested items, and almost looks like she wishes to stay, but Miko dismisses her, so she has no choice but to leave.

"She's likely to hang around outside, you know." I comment, looking at the closed door.

"So she is." The barely audible sound of flowing liquid tells me that she's filling my dish for me. "Try not to go overboard."

I nod as I pick up the porcelain dish. "I know."

_My current situation isn't that urgent, so it should be okay to take it easy like this for now. _

Since Miko's power has trouble getting a read on me, she resorts to the tried and tested method of simply talking; just talking about the stuff I've been doing since we last met took quite a while. Despite being a hermit, it's obvious that she's interested in the secular life.

It also gives me an insight into her personality; she's quite easygoing, which probably stems from her being able to read just about anyone she comes across, and her subsequent acceptance of how they're going to act. To her, people are like storybooks with myriad tales to tell, but they are forever changing through interactions with those around them, and Miko enjoys seeing the changes, which is one big reason why she doesn't act like a typical hermit and involves herself with other humans.

To her, I'm a kind of a wild card that she's having trouble predicting, and that piques her interest. When she explains about how her power has difficulty reading someone who lacks any of the ten basic desires, I mention that I know two other people who are likely to fall into that category. Naturally, Miko wants to know who those two are.

"One of them is a half-phantom, so she would lack attachment to life and envy of death, because she's in between the state of life and death." I explain. _Come to think of it, maybe she was supposed to be one of those who goes up against MIko?_

"Hmm, I see now." Miko nods contemplatively. "The other?"

"Well..." I scratch my head. "She's a youkai, a satori, actually."

"A mind reader. I have met their kind before, but I was able to hear their desires."

"Except she closed her Third Eye because she doesn't want to read minds." I sigh; Koishi's situation makes me feel sorry for her sometimes. "It also closed off her conscious mind."

Miko blinks a few times. "That would mean... she..."

I nod. "Chances are... you've already met her, but forgot about meeting her because that's what her ability does."

_Now that I think back about it... I know I encountered Koishi before, but I just can't recall the specifics!_ I look around the room with narrowed eyes, as though expecting her to be present.

"What are you doing?" Miko asks amusedly.

"Er, just thought she might be hanging around..." I reply, somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, if she can actually come all the way in here, then I look forward to meeting her!" The Taoist exclaims.

Eventually the conversation declines enough for me to bring up the matter I came to see her about in the first place. Given her straightforward character, it's not awkward for me to just say everything straight out. It means divulging the trick behind my powers, but I'm quite sure I can trust Miko not to abuse that knowledge.

"Hmm... so a portion of your power is affecting those around you without your conscious control..." She closes her eyes for a few seconds. "Yes. Yes, now that you've alerted me to this, I certainly can feel a slight attraction to you."

I automatically back away, moving back about two feet from my current position.

"That wouldn't accomplish much." Miko points out, opening her eyes. "For now, I have taken steps to temporarily protect myself from your presence, so you need not worry about affecting me."

_Huh, and all I noticed was her closing her eyes. Is it some other magical system? _So far, I only know the basics of Alice's, Patchy's, and Byakuren's magics, which are puppetry, elemental manipulation, and physical reinforcement respectively. _Maybe I should try learning some of this too?_

"So if you can block me from affecting you, does that mean..."

"Fret not, I will help you overcome this problem." Miko beckons for me to approach her closer and turn around.

A warmth washes over my body along with a soft golden glow, as I feel her magical energy running through my body. I can't tell what exactly it is doing to me other than scanning, but it feels kind of pleasant.

After two minutes, however, I start getting a little worried. "Umm... how is it?"

"Be quiet and let me concentrate."

_Well, that doesn't sound good at all._

Miko eventually finishes another three minutes later, and gives me the bad news. With the Keyblade ability being the catalyst for every single power I have, the Koa corruption in Spellbinder can't be removed without influencing the rest of the power in some way. She's able to seal it if I want, but the side effect of that is the loss of every power I have, putting me back to the point before I came.

_Yeah, I'm not going to give up my powers, but neither am I going to just live with this. I'm going to take get a second opinion. _I open my mouth to deliver my decision.

Miko interrupts me before I can say anything, however. "What you decide to do is up to you. I can tell you never thought of abusing its power in the first place, so if you are willing to let your power be sealed in order to prevent the corruption from affecting those around you, I will include you under my protection."

"I thank you for that offer," I bow my head deeply, "But I wish to pursue all other options first to see if there is an alternative."

When I look up, Miko's looking at me with approval. Apparently, my refusal to give up impresses her, though I don't know why exactly it does.

* * *

><p>Traveling back from Senkai is easier than getting there, but the problem is coming out exactly where you mean to. In my case, I end up very far away from Myouren Temple, and have no choice but to travel all the way back there. It's harder than it sounds, mainly because the setting sun means that the youkais are coming out, forcing me to reduce my travel speed to avoid being detected. If not for that, however, I wouldn't have run across my old self.<p>

_No matter how many times I see it, Sakuya's moves are as beautiful as always. _I think as I observe the maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion face off against Wriggle Nightbug. _That said, I think there's something familiar about this scene, and not just because my past self is right there._

Playing witness to the battle between youkai and maid is another Ikuto, one who is watching the battle trying to analyze the movements of both fighters. Then Sakuya suddenly unleashes a spell card attack, firing off two purple-glowing knives that ricochet wildly around the place. I quickly focus on the thought of Flan in my mind, activating the small amount of vampire blood she gave me, thereby enhancing my own abilities.

_He's having difficulty following their paths, but I suppose that's because he, -or I, -hasn't activated the blood ability. _Even with it on, I still wouldn't want to go up against Sakuya if she was being serious.

After Wriggle has been driven off, my past self acts like a gentleman, offering Sakuya his hand like a guide. My night vision allows me to see her blush in response to that, which makes my own heart skip a beat. After that, the pair of them continue walking onwards, heading towards Eientei.

I don't follow them there; the risk of a bunny getting back to Tewi with the info that there's currently two of me is just too high. Instead, I head straight for the village, since they're going to end up there eventually, according to my memory. I know there's the chance I might be seen, but I can't help feeling that I have to be there.

Once again concealing myself with Wavebreaker, I enter the village under the cover of stealth. My first destination is Keine's school. At this time of the night, it's already closed and all the students have gone home long ago, but even so, the feelings I get when I'm there is just... indescribable. It's like I'm missing something. Something very important.

_What is this feeling in my chest? _I grip the front of my shirt as I stare at the dark building. _Damn it... Keine's... not in there. She's... _

My head turns to the left, towards the main part of the village. I just know that Keine's there for some reason. Since she's nowhere near here, I open the door and walk into the place I stayed at before. Leaving my shoes at the front, I make my way towards the classroom.

**"Oh hello, it's been a while, hasn't it?" **A girl dressed in yellow greets me from where she's sitting on the teacher's desk.

"Good evening, Koishi." I greet her.

**"Good evening." **She kicks her legs up and down. **"It's so quiet now... reminds me of the Underground."**

"Were you attending classes here?" I inquire.

**"Did a few times, but it was boring. It was more fun playing with the others after class though." **Koishi replies without looking at me.

I turn my head to look around the place. "Yeah, it is, isn't-" When I look back, Koishi is gone. "Better than Batman, I'd say." (7)

I continue exploring the place. _And this... was where I spent my nights... while Keine slept over... over... _I look around, frown, poke my head out of the room, then pull it back to study the room again. _Keine... was sleeping here... in her own room. Then I... I was sleeping here too... in Keine's room?_

That didn't make sense. Keine wasn't one of the girls I slept with, so I shouldn't have been sharing her room. Yet I have clear memories of sleeping in here. But no memories of having anything other than a platonic relationship with Keine.

_Something is definitely wrong... _I grip my head. _My memories... it's not like the thing with Koishi... _

For the time being, I leave the place, taking a bit of care to make it look like no one has disturbed it. There's still some time before my past self returns, so I book a private booth at the youkai-frequented teahouse Yuuka took me to long ago so I can have some quiet time to think. It takes up quite a bit of my remaining money, which leads me to start considering selling some of the stuff I brought back with me.

_You can think about that later, _I tell myself, _Right now, there's another problem to solve._

The basic gist of things is that one part of my memories says that I did not go beyond a normal friendly relationship with Keine, while another part indicates that I did. It's also entirely possible that she was just willing enough to let me sleep in her bedroom without... Nahhh, there's no way she would do that.

That's when I realize there's a way I can confirm it. The ring that the original bracelet transformed into came about when all ten chips were filled, and my current bracelet has six filled chips, none of which corresponds to Keine. So who were the girls that allowed me to form the first ten chips?

_Okay, first there were Youmu and Yuyuko, _I tick them off my fingers. _After that was... the Eientei people, so Kaguya, Eirin, Reisen, then Mokou, which makes six. Next is Alice, which gave me Wire Performance. Skip Keine for now, move on to the Sanzu party, which is Komachi, Suika, and Iku. That's ten in total._

But according to the chips on my current bracelet, Iku is not one of the initial ten, so I have to deduct one from the count, which adds up to only nine.

I try counting again, and again, only to get the same result each time. I also try to see if there's a girl I've forgotten, as unlikely as it sounds, but the only possibility keeps going back to Keine.

Conclusion: Someone messed with my memory, and the most likely culprit is Keine herself.

_Why though? Why would she erase the history of us being together? _If there's a reason for that, it has to be within the hidden history, or else I would have been able to remember it. _At least, I think I would._

In the end, since I managed to solve the mystery somewhat, it's time to go see what my past self is doing. By now, he should have finished his business at Eientei and arrived in the village. Turns out, when I go looking, he's window shopping with Sakuya.

_I remember that. _I turn my head, searching for the shop from my memory. _There, the jeweler. And coming down the other way... is Keine._

As I watch, my past self buys a necklace for Sakuya, and helps put it on her. Then, just as Keine comes around the corner, he leans in and kisses Sakuya. She sees it, gasps, gets noticed, and runs away.

_That bastard! _Without thinking, I crouch down and pick up a stone, and chuck it at my own head with all my strength. _Oh shit!_

Luckily, my past self dodges what might have been a fatal blow, thereby preventing a paradox. I don't have the time to consider the possibility of such a thing happening though, since I'm already risking one by alerting them of my presence, so I immediately rung off as fast as I can. I don't stop until I'm out of the village.

After all that, I'm left feeling kind of down. There's so many things happening that I don't really know what to do. I have no memory of how I reached Myouren Temple afterwards, nor do I recall what I ate for dinner after that.

I certainly wasn't in any mood to ask Byakuren for help.

* * *

><p>(1) Kuroshitsuji, or Black Butler, reference. Sebastian usually uses this term to define himself, indicating both his skills, and his demon nature.<p>

(2) Guess the game reference here.

(3) Echidna from Queen's Blade. Uses her pet snake Keltan in place of underwear.

(4) Reference to Theresa of the Faint Smile from Claymore.

(5) Lord of the Rings reference. This was the password to open the Doors of Durin.

(6) In Japanese, _moto_ means formerly or previously, and _hage_ means bald. So Ikuto is saying that Futo was previously bald.

(7) Because we all know how much Batman loves leaving between one moment and the next.

And that's another chapter done! Was a bit of a slow start, but towards the end things went pretty quickly. As always, I have no actual idea where my mind is going with this plot, other than maybe just one or two chapters ahead.

Real life's becoming more and more tempting as ever, what with all the new games and stuff coming out recently. Played any of the hot new stuff recently, like Far Cry 4 or Dragon Age: Inquisition? Let me know how you're liking those.

Speaking of games, Majikoi A-4 just came out, and I'm eager to see what funny hijinks await me inside.

I know my update speed is far from ideal for most of you, but I would like to say I really appreciate my readers, both old and new, even though this fanfic is nothing more than a shameless self-insert fic. I have read a few interesting ones, such as the Dragon Age kinds, but quite a number of them have been abandoned... Pity.

That said, the next chapter in this one will be an X chapter. As you guys already know, I took them down when FF was undergoing a bit of a cleanup, but I uploaded them on the adult version of FF. So when the next update comes, it'll be just a reminder as to where you can find the actual thing.

Of course, I'm going to be working on the next chapter of Fate:Prophecy Break first.

Hope you guys have a pleasant Christmas holiday!


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